Vile abuse over Nationwide ads

Police have been called in after double act Flo and Joan have received death threats over their whimsical comedy songs.

The sisters’ advertising campaign for the Nationwide bank has attracted a slew of ‘vile, abusive and misogynistic comments’ – the worst of which have now been reported to police.

Sara Bennison, Nationwide’s chief marketing officer, issued a statement condemning the trolls.

She said: ‘When we saw an audition tape for Flo & Joan, gut feel told us all that they were a delightfully fresh take on things like loyalty which are at the heart of Nationwide. 

‘Social media has provided a great instant barometer of reaction – good and bad. The huge amount of likes and shares have been great.  

‘But then there are others who have chosen to post the most vile, abusive and misogynistic comments about the duo. 

‘It is not just our Flo & Joan adverts that generate these comments, it is also our adverts that feature people of different colours, backgrounds and perceived sexuality, which attract the most criticism.

‘That’s why it is important to call out those persistent offenders who put out vile comments on a regular basis and who should really know better. That is why Nationwide is looking to work with other brands, industry bodies and the Met Police to look at the true scale of this worrying trend to spread hate from behind a keyboard and attempt to create a solution to tackle the issue.  

‘It’s one thing not to like an advert, another to threaten to kill the stars of it.  Abuse is abuse and that’s never OK in our book.’

One Twitter troll called for the pair, real names Nicola and Rosie Dempsey, to be ‘brutally murdered’; another said: ‘Fuck off Flo and Joan. You annoying fucking cunts.’

The duo are up for best music and variety act in this year’s Chortle Awards.

Published: 8 Mar 2018