UPDATE: The Mail has responded to what it call a "disturbing trend". Click for more
Campaign group Stop Funding Hate published a tweet on Friday (8 September) directing Joy to an article in the Mail Online titled 'Trans-friendly toilets, unisex uniforms. What next - burkas for boys, asks Richard Littlejohn', alongside which the fashion brand's ads appeared (see image above).
Joy replied to Stop Funding Hate's tweet, saying that it was working to stop its ads from appearing on the Daily Mail and Daily Express websites.
We are working to block our ads from appearing on both DM and Express. Thank you! ?? -Olivia
— JOY (@joythestore) September 11, 2017
Following this, Joy sent a series of tweets outlining its stance. The company said: "Joy is a brand that pride themselves on diversity and inclusion, and we would never want to associate ourselves with these viewpoints.
"From now on we will be monitoring our ad placements much more closely to ensure that they reflect the interests and viewpoints of not only Joy, but our dedicated customers. We would like to apologise to all those who may have seen our advertisements next to these articles. It was our fault for not policing as rigorously as we could have. Thank you, and again, sorry."
It was recently brought to our attention by @StopFundingHate that our ads were appearing next to transphobic and racist articles. (1/5)
— JOY (@joythestore) September 11, 2017
From now on we will be monitoring our ad placements much more closely to ensure that they reflect the interests and viewpoints of (3/5)
— JOY (@joythestore) September 11, 2017
articles. It was our fault for not policing as rigorously as we could have. Thank you, and again, sorry. -JOY xx (5/5)
— JOY (@joythestore) September 11, 2017
In response, Stop Funding Hate director Richard Wilson said: "Many Joy customers will welcome the company's ethical leadership in ensuring that its advertising does not inadvertently support outlets that publish hateful content."
PRWeek has contacted the Daily Mail and the Daily Express. The Mail had not responded by the time this article was published but later sent a statement - click to read.
Stop Funding Hate claimed its first major scalp in November after Lego agreed to end a promotional in the Daily Mail.
Then in February The Body Shop publicly distanced itself from The Daily Mail, saying it had no plans to advertise in the newspaper, citing the beauty product brand's "ethical stance". In that instance, Stop Funding Hate urged The Body Shop to back its campaign to stop advertising in newspapers it considers to be promoting bigotry.
