The actor playing the flute-playing character Nudgy in a rideshare advertisement has expressed disappointment after the campaign was pulled for breaching Australian Ad Standards.
The decision to remove the commercial follows a finding by the Ad Standards Community Panel that the character’s appearance could result in the ridicule or humiliation of people with disabilities. The advertisement, titled Yes, I DiDi and developed for rideshare company DiDi, has run on free-to-air and commercial television since June 2025.
The commercial features the Nudgy character dancing on tables and bar counters while wearing a vest and shorts. The panel said that the character was clearly of short stature, arguing the treatment was reminiscent of past activities where people of short stature were publicly ridiculed.
“We don’t want to pick a fight with the Ad Standards Panel – we are huge supporters of what they do,” said Tim Farmer, DiDi Head of Brand, told NewsWire.
“At the same time, we are very proud of our Yes I DiDi ads and we could not disagree with the finding of the panel more strongly and have appealed the decision,” DiDi Head of Brand Tim Farmer told NewsWire. The advertisement previously won five Effie Awards in October and accumulated nearly 500,000 views on YouTube alongside 184,000 streams on Spotify.
The creative concept was developed alongside Sunday Gravy and disability inclusion consultancy Get Skilled Access, co-founded by Dylan Alcott. According to Sunday Gravy, the production team sought feedback on the script, character portrayal, and framing angles throughout development.
“We recognise that treating people with disabilities fairly is important and that is why we engaged the support of Dylan Allcot’s business Get Skilled Access and the actor himself throughout the creative process to make sure we got it right,” Farmer told NewsWire.
The actor who plays Nudgy, speaking anonymously to NewsWire, criticized the decision and its potential impact on future advertising campaigns.
“The assumptions that helped the decision to be made for the campaign to be pulled will actively discourage other companies from casting diversely and taking big artistic swings,” the actor told NewsWire.
| Metric / Detail | Campaign Data |
|---|---|
| Launch Date | June 2025 |
| Spotify Streams | 184,000 |
Farmer confirmed that the rideshare company received no viewer complaints relating to the brand world or Nudgy’s portrayal prior to the ruling. The company now awaits the findings of the review.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
