Magnum has apologized for an advertisement in its "guilty pleasure" series that compared being jailed for homosexuality to eating ice cream.
"A hug for my boyfriend -- that's my guilty pleasure," said the narrator in the controversial ad, which was first flagged by Spotify users earlier this month. "Because in my country, just a simple hug with the man I love could send me to prison for more than 10 years."
Predictably, the ads sparked a firestorm of criticism on social media. "Magnum is comparing the guilt of eating an ice cream to the guilt of being gay in a country where homosexuality is illegal. Bold move Magnum, but maybe no," wrote user @HidayahLGBTQI on Twitter.
Initially, a spokesperson appeared to defend the ad, telling Newsweek its purpose was "to remind people that what is considered a guilty pleasure isn't always what you would expect."
However, the ice cream company issued a more concrete apology to HuffPost U.K. that also defended its LGBTQ record. "Magnum has a history of championing LGBTQ+ rights and Pride Month is a moment when lots of us celebrate progress," a spokesperson stated.
"We're sorry for any offense caused by the advert, which aimed to bring awareness to the injustices people still face around the world."
