Samsung ad showing woman running at 2am 'offensive' and 'unrealistic'
A Samsung advert showing a woman running alone through dark streets at 2am has been described as "offensive" and "unrealistic" by runners and women's rights campaigners.
The ad shows a young woman waking up in the middle of the night and going for a run alone through the streets of London while wearing Samsung ear phones.
She is seen running past people and smiling, and heading down deserted, dark streets to the slogan "Night Owls. Your Galaxy. Your Way".
But runners and women's safety group Reclaim These Streets highlighted that running at night isn't safe, and described the advert as "disrespectful" particularly following the death of Ashling Murphy who was attacked when she was out for a run.
The 23-year-old’s death in Tullamore, Co Offaly, caused shockwaves and sparked vigils across Ireland and beyond in her memory, as calls were made for a change in attempts to tackle gender-based violence.
It led to the hashtag #shewasonarun as women shared stories about being harassed while out running.
Tazneem Anwar, a runner who blogs under "This Hijabi Runs", told ITV News: "The advert is offensive as it's not a reality for most women to run at 2am.
"As women we have to think twice about where we run or what time. Is it safe? Will other people be around?
"This has all been heightened especially after the deaths of Ashling Murphy, Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa who were lone women who were targeted (even in daytime).
"Before we go out for a run, we have to think about letting others know where we are running, what time we will back… just in case. We also ensure that our running watches or running tracker has the beacon feature activated so that chosen contacts can track you.
"We don’t wear headphones when running at night or in poorly lit areas so that you can keep your wits about you… all just in case."
Anna Birley, co-founder of women's safety group Reclaim These Streets, told ITV News: "I think that women should be able to go running regardless of what time or day or night it is.
"But the reality is that’s not the case, women don’t feel - and too often aren’t - safe out after dark.
"It’s an unrealistic advert to say the least."
"Women who experience sexual harassment or violence in public spaces will look at this and remember their own experiences for sure," she added.
Ms Birley said the "culture of misogyny" needs to be tackled - but adverts such as Samsung's will not help to do so.
Recent figures by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest one in two women felt unsafe walking alone after dark in a quiet street near their home, or a busy public place.
Two out of three women, aged 16 to 34, experienced one form of harassment in the previous 12 months, said the ONS in August 2021.
A total of 44% of women in that age group said they've experienced catcalls, whistles, unwanted sexual comments or jokes, and 29% have felt like they were being followed.
Samsung said: “The Night Owls campaign was designed with a positive message in mind: to celebrate individuality and freedom to exercise at all hours.
“It was never our intention to be insensitive to ongoing conversations around women’s safety.
“As a global company with a diverse workforce, we apologise for how this may have been received.”
Social media users commented on the advert shared on YouTube with one saying: "All I can think is how unsafe this seems and how nervous I am for her", while another called it a "very poor choice of advert for the product".
"It is ridiculous to go out and exercise alone at that time of night and with earbuds in regardless of gender. It simply isn’t safe. Especially in somewhere like London or any other major city," another added.