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A TV advert for Philadelphia cheese has become one of the first to be banned under new gender stereotyping rules.

The ad featured two dads leaving a baby on a buffet restaurant conveyor belt while they were distracted by food.

Viewers complained it perpetuated a harmful stereotype by suggesting men were incapable of caring for children.

Some 128 people referred the ad to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which ruled that it breached its code.

An advert for Volkswagen eGolf car has also been banned by the watchdog over claims it contained harmful gender stereotypes.

It showed a sleeping woman, a man in a tent on a sheer cliff face, two male astronauts in a space ship and a male para-athlete with a prosthetic leg doing the long jump.

The final scene showed a woman sitting on a bench next to a pram.

Three complainants argued that the ad showed men engaged in adventurous activities in contrast to a woman in a care-giving role.

Both advertisements have since been banned by the ASA, which said they displayed "harmful" gender stereotypes.

New rules on gender stereotyping in advertising came into effect on June 14.

Under the regulations, ads "must not include gender stereotypes that are likely to cause harm, or serious or widespread offence".

Volkswagen and Mondelez, which owns Philadelphia cheese, have defended their advertisements.

Mondelez UK argued that the ad showed a positive image of men with a responsible and active role in childcare in modern society.

It added that it chose two dads to deliberately avoid the typical stereotype of new mothers with the responsibility of childcare.

Ad clearance agency Clearcast said the dads' agreement to "let's not tell mum" was a "commonplace exclamation signifying embarrassment" that could equally be applied in role reversal, and represented a "careless, momentary and harmless distraction".

The ASA said the ad was intended to be light-hearted and comical but portrayed the men as "somewhat hapless and inattentive".

It said this “resulted in them being unable to care for the children effectively".

The watchdog said the ad "relied on the stereotype that men were unable to care for children as well as women and implied that the fathers had failed to look after the children properly because of their gender".

Volkswagen UK said its ad made no suggestion that care-giving was uniquely associated with women.

It said the fact that the woman was calm and reading could be seen as going against the stereotypical depiction of harassed or anxious parents in advertising.

The firm said there was no direct contrast of male and female stereotypical roles and characteristics in the ad, and neither did it pressure people to conform or mock any of the characters shown.

The ASA said: "By juxtaposing images of men in extraordinary environments and carrying out adventurous activities with women who appeared passive or engaged in a stereotypical care-giving role, we considered that the ad directly contrasted stereotypical male and female roles and characteristics in a manner that gave the impression that they were exclusively associated with one gender.

"We concluded that the ad presented gender stereotypes in a way that was likely to cause harm and therefore breached the Code."

A Mondelez spokeswoman said: "We are extremely disappointed with the ASA decision. We take our advertising responsibility very seriously and work with a range of partners to make sure our marketing meets and complies with all UK regulation.

"This includes pre-approval from a recognised television advertising body, before any advert is aired to the public."

Geraldine Ingham, head of marketing for Volkswagen UK, said: "As both a leader within this business and as a mother, I do not believe that the roles of the women in this advertisement are in any way portrayed negatively.

"Just like the men, they are shown taking part in challenging situations, such as in a tent perched on a mountainside and in a spacecraft, while another is shown to be embarking on what is surely life's greatest and most valuable role - raising another human being."

Additional reporting by the Press Association