APCON Threatens To Saction Sterling Bank Over Agege Bread Advert

APCON Threatens To Saction Sterling Bank Over Agege Bread Advert

Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) has expressed displeasure over a recent Sterling Bank Plc’s advert for comparing the Easter Monday Celebration which symbolizes the risen of Jesus Christ to “Agege bread.”

Sterling Bank Plc in a bid to celebrate the christians’ Easter Monday, which symbolized the rise of Jesus Christ after his crucification on Friday, placed an advert comparing the ressurection of Jesus Christ to  ‘Agege bread’, with a caption that reads; “Like Agege Bread, He Rose.”

The advert which APCON described as “insensitive and provocative Easter celebration.”

While not taken the advert with kid gloves, APCON in a swift reaction to the advert accussed Sterling Bank of placing the advert through backdoor without approval from the council.

Consequently, APCON has vowed to take necessary actions to ensure that Sterling Bank is sanctioned for the exposure of such offensive advertisement according to law and that no religious belief or faith is ridiculed or any blasphemous advertisement exposed in any guise. 

APCON threat to sanction Sterling Bank Plc, was contained in a letter captioned    “Sterling Bank “Agege Bread” Easter Advertisment”, signed by it’s Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, FCA.

The letter reads in part; “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 Standards 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 law and that no religious belief or faith is ridiculed or any blasphemous advertisement exposed in any guise.”

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