M&S lingerie ad ‘socially irresponsible’
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A Marks & Spencer bus ad for a lingerie range has been banned by the advertising watchdog for being ’overtly sexual’ and, because it was likely to be seen by children, “socially irresponsible”.
The banned image shows a woman wearing lingerie and stockings kneeling on a bed with her back arched, legs wide apart and with one arm behind her head and the other on her thigh.
Complaints about the unsuitability of other images used in the outdoor campaign that also featured women in lingerie were not upheld.
The ASA ruled the images did not objectify women as it was “reasonable to feature models in underwear for a lingerie ad”.
The ruling follows a similar ban on a Lynx ad last week and demonstrates the ASA’s tougher line on “untargeted outdoor advertising” following its own research and the Government commissioned Bailey Review into the sexualisation of childhood.
David Cameron appointed Mothers Union chief Reg Bailey to head a review last year following growing concern of the impact of unrestricted sexual imagery becoming commonplace in the media environment.
“These rulings [on M&S and Lynx] are useful examples to the industry of the tougher line we’re taking on ads that are likely to be seen by children, following our announcement in October,” says an ASA spokesman.
Readers' comments (4)
Anonymous | Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:21 am
I don't think anyone could consider me a prude, but as a woman in my mid 50s I find the M&S advert offensive.
It behoves the M&S managament to think seriously about their advertising stance when so much of their success is based on the purchasing power of older women.
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Anonymous | Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:13 pm
So glad M&S have finally been pulled up on this. Fed up of seeing almost naked models along A40 time and again. It's cheap marketing reflecting their brand in the same way. M&S remind me of those calendars you see in garages!
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Anonymous | Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:53 pm
I think it's disgraceful that I can't make the picture in the story any bigger.
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Anonymous | Wed, 30 Nov 2011 1:23 pm
Seriously?
What next....CK ads 'objectifying' men? I bet that doesnt get muted for a loooong time, if ever. Should laungerie ads have fully clothed models?
Are kids really 'at risk' from people for say wearing bikinis on the beach, I know, let's go back to Victorian bathing costumes....
This is marketing suffering from 'political correctness madness'.
I am 100% in favour of protecting kids from extreme images but this is all going too far!
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