Franchisor slams Oven Pride advert

By Kate Pritchard, published 281 days ago in Sales & Marketing.

Entrepreneur Rik Hellewell, owner of professional oven-valeting firm Ovenu, has slammed the recent Oven Pride television advert, claiming it could put homeowners at “serious risk of injury”.

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The advert for Oven Pride has already provoked over 700 complaints for its tag line ‘so easy a man could do it’, but, claims Hellewell, “it is the blatant lack of suitable protective clothing worn and the irresponsible use of a dangerous caustic product that should see this advert removed immediately.”

Hellewell has written to the Advertising Standards Authority to demand they remove this advert. "Forgetting all the media hype centered around the ‘sexist’ issues of the advert, it has been allowed to air with a flagrant disregard for the health and safety of people using this DIY product," he says. "A product that, by the manufacturers own admission, is caustic based, can cause severe burns and is corrosive.” Oven Pride’s Safety Data Sheets (SDS) say users of the product should be sporting full length gloves, overalls, apron and boots with a full face visor. However the character in the advert can be seen using the product without protection for his eyes or any obvious sign of regard for the danger posed by the caustic content of the product. "Having spent the past 15 years in the oven cleaning industry, I'm well positioned to highlight the dangers of using caustic based products, something that neither I nor my franchise owners have ever done," adds Hellewell. “What’s wrong with blokes cleaning an oven anyway? Ninety-five per cent of our franchisee owners are men, who have developed successful businesses by cleaning ovens.” Ovenu was founded in 1993 and has grown from a sole trader operation into a multi-content business. There are now over 100 franchisees operating in the UK, servicing over 100,000 appliances a year.

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