Sterling Bank Condemned Over Offensive Easter Advert Message

…APCON Moves to Sanction

Sterling Bank is currently under fire and receiving fierce backlash and condemnation over the Easter message they sent out to their customers on Sunday.

Like Agege bread, He rose” reads the bold message on an advertisement sponsored by Sterling Bank for Easter.

The bank, in their cheeky Easter greeting to facilitate with Christians marking the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, compared Jesus’ resurrection with Agege bread.

Sterling Bank’s Easter message was deemed distasteful which generated outrage and outright condemnation.

Many Nigerians on social media called out the bank, labelling their comparison as ‘insensitive’, ‘distasteful’, ‘offensive’, ‘mockery’, and demanding an immediate apology from Sterling Bank.

A customer named Ella Chioma Eze

Another named Phillip Nsowu noted that “Sterling Bank, this is a joke taken too far, I am sure if you had mentioned Islam in this manner, by now many of your branches would have been on fire. This shows how irresponsible this bank is, if a bank could be so callous about a sensitive matter as religion, they will also be so callous about your deposit”

Sodji Adeleke Abraham in his angry tweets called on the Christian associations to take up the matter with the bank. “Christian Association of Nigeria, PFN and other Christians should take this up. Coming from a bank that practices Islamic banking is totally unacceptable.

“The peak of aberration, dumbness and disparage is Sterling Bank’s cheers about Christ’s resurrection this morning- LIKE AGEGE BREAD, HE ROSE!

“I am disturbed at the depth of ineptitude, shoddiness and insensitivity of a brand that counts on the patronage of the public, among whom are Christians to keep afloat to make such a grave and dangerous comparison.

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“While it is needless to fight on behalf of our own God as Christians and His Son who died for the ransom of the entirety of human race(God can defend Himself), Sterling Bank and motleys of individuals who have reduced Christ’s resurrection to a rise of a dough of bread often raised with yeast and bromade(a substance that is dangerous for consumption)need be reminded that they erred grossly in their comparison. Christ’s resurrection differs greatly from the rising of Agege bread.

“We await SB to atone for her error by withdrawing that wishes with an immediate effect. Making a public apology may be necessary to salvage the damages she has done already to her brand. Other corporate brands may need to learn to avoid stoking an ember of crisis in a country already polarized by religion to avoid making light of some religious tenets that the adherents hold in high esteem.
“Of course, if these wishes were made innocently to some other religions, by now, SB and whosoever make that mistake would be counting their losses. This will be too grave and must be avoided!”

Another Nigerian Tanko Lami also expressed vexation on her page, “Sterling Bank Easter copy said “Like Agege, He rose”

“Whether copy, creative or technical writing, this is an ugly sense of humour laced badly with disrespect to their customer’s faith.

“This is a Bank! A Bank! An industry that is supposed to welcome everyone. Everyone including an imbecile is your customer long as he can afford to open an account… But you choose to personify Christ to agege bread.

“Nawaoh if you see the humour, please let me know.”

Reacting to this, the Advertising Practitioner Council of Nigeria (APCON) said the Easter celebration advertisement placed by Sterling bank which compared the resurrection of Jesus Christ to Agege Bread was insensitive and provocative.

In APCON’s words, “the distasteful advertisement was neither submitted nor approved for exposure by the Advertising Standard Panel and as such will take necessary actions to ensure Sterling bank is punished for the offensive advertisement.