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.
