Bikini-clad ad spanked by ASA - DecisionMarketing

A Buckinghamshire estate agent which thought it was a good idea to advertise its services using an image of bikini-clad women to draw attention to its valuing service has been slapped down by the ad watchdog for being sexist and demeaning.
The ad, placed by Whirlybird Property, featured six women from behind wearing branded bikinis and said: “Would you like one of the ladies at Whirlybird Property to value your home? if [sic] so, call now and take advantage of our preferential rates for selling your property.”
Two complainants, who believed the ads were sexist and objectified women, challenged whether the ad was offensive.
But Whirlybird could not see anything wrong with the ad, defended its decision to use the image by referring to the common use of women in promotion events and advertising, like the Formula One, using their physical features to draw attention to the product.
Bucks Free Press, which ran the ad, maintained the image was not obscene or corruptive to its readers because women in bikinis could be seen on ‘a normal beach holiday’ and on poster sites.
However, the Advertising Standards Authority banned the ad, ruling that the use of the image was “incongruous to the subject of property lettings”. It said that while it was not sexually explicit by placing it alongside the text, it was likely to be seen as sexist and demeaning to women because it used their physical features to draw attention to the product.