A topless model has landed Bournemouth lettings agency Aquisitive in hot water.
A complaint was made to the Advertising Standards Authority about the image of a topless woman hiding her breasts under her arm, in an advertisement which included a slogan asking: “Landlords - would you like your property to get this level of exposure?”
The ASA upheld the complaint on the grounds the advert could cause serious offence over the way the woman was displayed and banned the firm from showing the image again.
The ASA statement says: “Aquisitive felt it was particularly relevant that the poster site was very close to a table-dancing club, was in the centre of an area of student accommodation, was on the route from the town's bus and train terminals down to the beach, and that Bournemouth had the highest density of nightclubs and bars in the country.”
The authority says that it recognises the advertisement did not feature explicit nudity and was “only mildly sexually suggestive” but believes that because the image bears no relevance to lettings and “was likely to cause serious or widespread offence and therefore breached the advertising code.”
LAT is resisting the obvious joke about the agency making a boob.
Comments
@Tosser Spotter
Yes course it was Geoffrey. Thats why you got shut down and Richard White lost his business.
I used to own a site that hosted messages threatening women and celebrities with my mate R, White. It was a right laugh.
Then there was the womens institutes calendar girls - no one complained about that either. Oxford universities ladies Rugby team have done the same.
Perhaps it's just because they are letting agents and the ASA don't like them,
@ Sarah
CAMRA ran pictures of both men and women in their magazine for years with only leaves protecting their modesty, and on no occasion did I hear anyone complain. Not exactly relevant to the sale of beer either.
A blog on the subject of inappropriate advertising
http://vagendamag.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/on-boobage-roundup-of-tits-in.html
Utterly stupid.
As long as it's not offensive to children, I cant see what the problem is. There are a myriad of adverts for bra's etc when walking round M&S which are just as revealing. You can't say its more offensive just because of what it being advertised.
Anyone can read the Sun page 3 - it's not age restricted. And what about those car calendars in garages?
How exactly is that resisting the temptation to make a joke about boobs?
Douglas & Gordon once ran an advert with a bare behind
http://www.douglasandgordon.com/blog/ad-campaigns-2011/
This is no worse than breasts.
Sarah - don't be such a prude. I have seen worse on the front page of newspapers. Remember Demi Moore on the front page of vanity fair advertised at nearly ever London Bus Stop?
http://cartunistasolda.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/annie-leibovitz-demi-moore-master-set-wexner-center-ss03.jpg
The ASA is run by a load of frustrated, metropolitan, liberal women. Totally sexist - where are the men?
We are more sexually repressed than we were in the 70s & 80s FFS.
Remember that ad in the Sunday Times mag with a topless woman sat in a swan. It ran every week for years.
When did you last see a pair of jugs on the Beeb? Used to be loads years ago.
No wonder the French laugh at us.
Nothing wrong with bit of tit & bum in advertising.
Thaaaatch!
Well, it seems to have titivated the child section who use this site. Very poor judgement by Aquisitive though.
Naff? Undoubtedly, and likely to irritate at least 50% of their potential customer base.
But is it really any worse than a zillion other adverts we see every day?
The notion of someone "hiding their breasts under their arm" produced some very odd images in my mind until I worked out that the breasts must be in the regular place with the lady's arm draped across them.
That's fine by me @Sarah.
Have the Puritans returned?
Small minds are amused by small things. Why not show a bloke with his tackle pathetically covered? No? Didn't think so....
I think the ASA would be better off fining them as they dont offer great exposure - they dont even have a proper website - only a link to RM & Z
totally brilliant-exceptional green light thinking
think we will copy as it gains extra publicity when the ASA come a calling...
ha ha ha
It got noticed. Job done.
"ASA...but believes that because the image bears no relevance to lettings"
Half our tenants have breasts. Lots of lettings agents are often described as t*ts,
Seriously - there are loads of ads which have nothing to do with lettings or indeed the products or services they offer. That's called marketing.
I think it was very clever and quite amusing. In this day and age, I really think the ASA are being a tad prudish.
Walk along Bournemouth beach in summer, and you will see them for real.
Head over the ferry to Sandbanks and you will see far more ;)
"....was on the route from the town's bus and train terminals down to the beach,"
and probably school bus and car runs too?
Clever, inventive, but an error of judgement