Raunchy Mobile Ad Upsets Usual Suspects

Raunchy Mobile Ad Upsets Usual Suspects

A rather racy ad for British mobile phone manufacturer Kazam Online has been banned by UK authorities after it was deemed demeaning and sexist.

UK’s the Advertising Standards Authority banned the ad after it received just eight complaints from people who deemed it “overtly sexual and objectified women” and “bore no relationship to the product”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AXU5QYtOQc

The ad was produced by UK’s Ogilvy & Mather and shows an attractive raven haired young lady gadding about in her knickers, playing with her cleavage, biting her lip and running her hand over her thighs. She then proceeds to get dressed as the camera zooms in on her crotch and buttocks. It’s not until she puts on a shirt does she realise it contains her mobile and the voiceover says: “Introducing the world’s slimmest phone.”

The mobile company said of ASA’s decision that the ad showed a “well-known scenario – that is ironing a shirt in your underwear”. It also claimed it was for an adult audience and was only shown in evening timeslots. Prior to airing the ad was given the ‘green light’ by authorities who agreed it had sexual overtones but they weren’t likely to cause offence.

However, ASA determined that the ad was all about the woman and her underpants and not the mobile and it was “sexually suggestive”. As a result it said the ad must not air again and Kazam must make sure it does nothing similar in its future campaigns.

 




Please login with linkedin to comment

Advertising Standards Bureau Lee McClymont

Latest News

Nielsen Data Reveals Brands Spending Big To Attract Aussie Tourists
  • Advertising

Nielsen Data Reveals Brands Spending Big To Attract Aussie Tourists

Nielsen Ad Intel data has revealed that the travel and tourism industry spent more than $153 million on advertising in Australia in Q1, 2024 – an increase of 8 per cent from the previous quarter, with TripADeal the biggest spender, followed by Virgin Australia, then the Flight Centre-owned Ignite Travel. As many Australians return from […]

Cosmo Returns To Australia!
  • Media

Cosmo Returns To Australia!

Ever get the feeling we've weirdly warped back to 1988 at the moment? Confirm it with the relaunch of Cosmo in print.