Thousands of Kiwis are calling for a ban on Wicked Campers offensive slogans, but the man behind the vans is nowhere to be found.

The company behind the offensive and borderline misogynistic slogans driving around some of the most beautiful parts of New Zealand is nothing if not defiant.

John William Webb refuses to explain - let alone, apologise for - the vans that have motorists, campsites, guide books, councils and the Government up in arms.

NAZ MULLA/SYDNEY MORNING HERALD Wicked Campers founder and owner John Webb has been silently defiant in the face of the latest uproar over his vans' slogans.

How is he getting away with it?

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Webb's first Wicked-related companies were set up in the early noughties and the vans hit the roads in 2005.

NAZ MULLA/SYDNEY MORNING HERALD Webb has spoken up in defence of his company in the past but this time he has avoided media, deciding to keep quiet.

Webb started out as a Brisbane mechanic, he then moved on to hiring out cars and saw a gap in the market.

He now owns a four-bedroom house, estimated to be worth about $1.6 million, in the architecturally acclaimed Brisbane suburb, Coorparoo.

The house, which sits on 860 sqm has a private sauna and pool.

YOUTUBE Webb's son Liam Webb has spoken on behalf of Wicked Campers before, as "Leanne Webb".

Webb also has a son - Liam Webb - who has commented on behalf of the company before, dressed as a woman named Leanne Webb.

In a 2014 seemingly satirical video interview "Leanne" Webb said the company didn't try to be controversial.



Based on information on Liam Webb's Facebook page, which he made private after we attempted to contact him, he is a strong advocate for LGBTI rights and marriage equality.



He is also an active member of the church, according to his social media posts.

YOUTUBE Liam Webb also refused to reply to requests for a comment on the latest controversy.

THE BUSINESS

The Australian Business Register (ABN) records show Brisbane-based Wicked Campers is registered under the name The Trustee of the Juicy Love Trust.

The company was first incorporated in October 2006.

MATT SHAND/FAIRFAX NZ Some customers like Dahman Soraya and Rossano Antonini don't care too much for the logo on the back of their rental van, but like the price.

As well as The Trustee of the Juicy Love Trust, Webb has a string of Wicked-related companies listed on the New Zealand Companies Office site.

Wicked Cult Limited was started in December 2002. Webb is its sole director and it's owned by Wicked NZ Holdings Pty Ltd, which is registered to Webb's Queensland business address.

Hells Vans Ltd was incorporated in November 2005. Again, it's Webb at the helm and the owner is WKD Group Pty Ltd, same address.

Wicked Culture Ltd, first registered in July 2005, is also owned by Wicked NZ Holdings Pty Ltd and directed by Webb.

Lastly, there's Wicked Ltd. This one was also incorporated in July 2005 and is entirely owned by Webb. He's also the director.

Like any company listed in New Zealand, they have a local address. Webb's companies' New Zealand address is listed as a Christchurch business advisory firm.

Supplied More FM DJs Simon Barnett (L) and co-host Gary McCormick

Wicked Campers have also blazed a global trail, spreading across the globe, with branches in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, the UK and Europe, Africa, US and Canada, and South America. There are thousands of Wicked vans on the road worldwide.

THE CONTROVERSY

The slogans have been making waves since the start and further negative media attention ensued after an Australian investigation in 2010 found the majority of its Aussie fleet was not roadworthy.

Things ramped up in 2014 after Sydney mother and high-school teacher Paula Orbea launched a petition after her daughter came across a van with the slogan: "In every princess, there's a little slut who wants to try it just once."

CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY Canterbury University's dean of law Ursula Cheer says New Zealand censorship laws mean some of the vans could be removed from the roads if the censor's office finds them to be objectionable.

The petition gathered almost 128,000 signatures in four days, leading to the only public apology Webb's offered.

He promised to remove the particular slogan and invited people to spray his vans if they saw something they didn't like.

Orbea says Webb was just sick of new signatures on the petition generating emails sent direct to his inbox.

VIRGINIA WOOLF The Tasman District Council is looking at following the lead of the Kaiteriteri Beach Motor Camp which has banned Wicked Camper vehicles.

"He just did it to get the heat off."

Then in 2015, Webb did a U-turn.

EMMA DANGERFIELD/FAIRFAX NZ Wicked Campers occupants could be breaching local district bylaws in areas around New Zealand, including Kaikoura. with the offensive slogans.

He posted a tongue-in-cheek media release on the company's website, saying anyone who vandalised the vans would be prosecuted.

Orbea says the U-turn was "incredibly disappointing" but she doesn't have a personal vendetta against Webb, she just wants those slogans off the road.

However, Webb - and Wicked - have a history of getting personal.

MONIQUE FORD / Stuff.co.nz Wellingtonians share their thoughts on Wicked Campervan slogans.

When former Byron Bay journalist Lucy Clark wrote a column about Wicked Campers, Webb hit back at her with the slogan: "Dear Lucy… I can already imagine the Gaffa tape [duct tape] on your mouth."

Wicked Campers referred to Orbea as a "mosquito" that needed squashing.

The mother and high school teacher says Australians are working hard to use legislation to get the slogans off the road.

FAIRFAX NZ Disney was investigating Wicked Campers' use of the Snow White characters on its vans.

In the meantime, she supports actions like campgrounds banning the vans, as some in New Zealand have done.

Orbea's message to Webb: "Give us a chance to let them be kids. And give us a chance to not have to imagine blow jobs at every moment of the day."

TWO YEARS AND NOT A WORD



Anna McCormack has been running Wicked Pickets for almost two years.



The group has picketed the depot, held rallies and regular meetings about how to tackle Wicked Campers and runs a Facebook page with almost 2000 likes.

SUPPLIED Wicked Campers offensive van paint jobs could trigger backlash from some of the world's biggest brands, including Pepsi.

McCormack says she feels a responsibility as a feminist and a grandmother to do something.

"I could see the slogans were part of rape culture and were encouraging rape culture."

For the past two years Wicked Pickets has been trying to set up a meeting with Webb to discuss the public's concerns and try to reach a compromise.

MONIQUE FORD/FAIRFAX NZ Associate Tourism Minister Paula Bennett says Wicked Campers slogans have made her irate.

McCormack's group has never managed to have a proper discussion with Webb, who firstly refused to meet then stopped responding to calls and emails altogether.

The group's also been in contact with state and local government officials and while many are sympathetic, they haven't done anything to get the slogans off the road.

So she and her fellow Wicked picketers have taken to "fixing" vans by painting over the slogans or covering them with tape.

DEREK FLYNN/FAIRFAX NZ They might offend some people but their outrage is unlikely to hurt Wicked's business or reputation, a PR expert says.

We've had quite a few new 'likes' lately and a few messages asking what Wicked Pickets does. Here's a summary:"Wicked... Posted by Wicked Pickets on Tuesday, April 5, 2016

People across Australia and New Zealand have followed suit by redecorating the vans.

While many had "fixed" the vans without consequence, one Byron Bay grandfather could face prosecution for whipping out a spray can to cover up part of the offending slogan: "A blowjob a day beats an apple".

New Zealand Police say they are aware of people doing the same in New Zealand but so far, they've received no complaints about vandalism to the vans from the company or others.

ONE-MAN BAND

In the early days, Webb also helped run the day-to-day business and took calls from disgruntled customers after hours.

According to a post on a Complaints Board, Nick Siddorn and Jodie Twose from the UK hired a Wicked van to drive around New Zealand in 2006 but their journey was hampered by mechanical problems.

They dealt with Webb on several occasions over the phone and during the last conversation Webb became aggravated, the post says.

"Mr Webb refused to give me the contact number of the depot and proceeded to tell me that: 'I was pushing his buttons' that I was 'getting in a mood'. He then put me on hold while he 'calmed down'."

Siddorn said he did not raise his voice, use an inappropriate tone or behave disrespectfully towards Webb during their conversations.

THE ONGOING SAGA

Controversy surrounding Wicked Campers is nothing new but the latest round seems to have gained more traction, especially in New Zealand.

Some camp grounds have banned the vans and now Queenstown Council says it will fine the Australian company $300 for offensive slogans in the area.

Big brands, including Pepsi and Disney are also investigating Wicked's use of their copyrighted logos and imagery.

The Department of Conservation and Lonely Planet have removed the company from their local tourist information and a local radio station has launched a campaign to get 100,000 likes to stop Wicked Campers.

More FM DJs Simon Barnett and Gary McCormick say the slogans should be off the roads.

"If the guy wants to have his own slogans in his own house, that's fine. But not on the roads in New Zealand," McCormick says.

S&G 100,000 'likes' to stop Wicked Campers A 100,000 'likes' to stop Wicked CampersUPDATE: Many are asking why 100k likes. 100k likes was just a significant enough number to take this to the PM this Thursday morning to make a real statement. 300,000 signatures forces a referendum so one third of that makes a Govt sit up and take real notice. We are so grateful for the 000's of wonderful supportive comments that have been sent! We love a laugh as much as anyone but there are occasions where it is important to send a statement to greedy companies who for their own mercenary gain would put these vans out there without any thought of the welfare and message it sends to our children and society in general, cheers. Posted by Si & Gary on Sunday, March 20, 2016

John Key told the More FM hosts New Zealand has more power to do something about the Wicked slogans than Australia.

Wicked could be fined up to $30,000 if the censor believes the material is objectionable, Key says.

CAN WICKED SLOGANS BE REMOVED FROM NEW ZEALAND ROADS?

The censor's office has the power to take the offensive vans off the road if they find the slogans to be objectionable.

Deputy chief censor Jared Mullen says the classification office has so far received eight submissions from police, each relating to a separate van.

The office is in the process of classifying the submissions and the first of the vans could be classified by the end of April.

For each van submitted, there are three possible outcomes: It may be unrestricted (nothing changes), it may be restricted to a certain age group, or it may be deemed objectionable and be banned from the road.

University of Canterbury dean of law Ursula Cheer says the fact that the vans are moving does not create an issue with New Zealand's censorship laws.

Cheer says Wicked has ignored an Advertising Standards Authority ruling in the past, and equivalent rulings in Australia, due to the voluntary membership scheme.

However, if the censor deems the material is objectionable it will be a criminal offence for Wicked to ignore the ruling, Cheer says.

Associate Tourism Minister Paula Bennett has also been campaigning against Wicked Campers.

A spokeswoman for the minister says she is waiting for the outcome of the censor's investigation.

THE UNANSWERED CALLS (AND QUESTIONS)

We have tried repeatedly to contact Webb for comment for this story and others.

During the past two weeks we have tried calling his mobile number close to a dozen times, leaving multiple voice messages.

We have sent him emails to various addresses associated with Webb personally and Wicked Campers.

We Facebook messaged him and his son, who has spoken on behalf of Wicked in the past.

No answer.

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