Easter: APCON threatens to sanction Sterling Bank for comparing Jesus’ resurrection with Agege Bread
Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, (APCON) has threatened to sanction Sterling Bank Plc over provocative Easter celebration advertisement where the bank compared the resurrection of Christ with Agege Bread.
APCON disclosed this in a statement released on Monday.
APCON claimed the material was neither submitted nor approved for exposure by the Advertising Standard Panel (ASP).
“The Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, APCON has observed with displeasure the insensitive and provocative Easter celebration advertisement by Sterling Bank Plc which compared the resurrection of Christ with Agege Bread.
“The distasteful advertisement was neither submitted nor approved for exposure by the Advertising Standard Panel (ASP), the statutory panel charged with the responsibility of ensuring that advertisements conform with the prevailing laws of the federation as well as the code of ethics of Advertising in Nigeria.
“APCON will take necessary actions to ensure that Sterling Bank is sanctioned for the exposure of such offensive advertisement according to the law and that no religious belief or faith is ridiculed or any blasphemous advertisement exposed in this guise,” the letter signed by Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo read.
The advert sponsored in some print newspapers in Nigeria has, however, attracted condemnation from some Nigerians particularly Christians on Twitter who said that they considered the piece distasteful.