Local dairy company Benna has defended itself from accusations of sexism and said that an advert which showed a man fantasising about his female colleague was not intended to offend.

The company was reacting to controversy over an advert it released for its Red Velvet Milkshake, which some claimed objectified women. 

In a statement on Wednesday, Benna said that the video was not intended to offend, though it added “we completely understand how it may be interpreted differently.”

“We support gender equality throughout and at no stage would we promote otherwise,” the company said. “We continue to listen and value both praise and criticism to constantly strive and improve in all our efforts.”

The company did not say what it would be doing with the commercial.

In the advert, a bored male office worker looks over to his female colleague. After taking a sip of the milkshake, the man starts fantasising about her, and the scene shifts to him watching her while she walks towards him in a red dress under dimmed, red lighting.

University gender studies professor Brenda Murphy was among those who said the advert was a step backwards in the fight for gender equality. 

In a post addressing the dairy giant, she wrote: “In a context where we are all aware of the fact that nearly three out of every four women are sexually harassed in the workplace - we are repulsed by your toxic ad for a milkshake.

“We urge people who are for #GenderEquality and for #BetterBalancedMedia to use their consumer sovereignty and boycott this and any other product that objectifies women, insults male integrity, and reinforces dangerous stereotypes.”

MP Therese Comodini Cachia also condemned the advert, writing “If sex and women is all you can come up with to sell your product then Maltese dairy farmers are certainly in trouble.”

Dairy farmers, however, defended Benna and accused Comodini Cachia of trying to earn political mileage out of the situation, saying the advert was not offensive. 

Others argued that the outrage was misplaced and noted that no such outrage had been voiced about a video for Malta’s Eurovision Song Contest entry, which features singer Destiny running her hands along a man’s exposed torso.