Bar chain Wahoo has been blasted by the Advertising Standards Authority after running an “explicit and gratuitous” door-drop campaign featuring a topless woman with the word Wahoo placed over each of her nipples, pulling down a tiny pair of pants.
Complainants, who had received the leaflet through their letterboxes in Southampton promoting The Fuel Girls (pictured), challenged whether the images in the ad were offensive and unsuitable for a circular which could be seen by anyone, including children.
Wahoo owner Cavendish Bars Trading (CBT) apologised for any offence caused by the images in the ad, and explained that it had been produced by an external promoter and that it had not seen or approved the ad prior to its distribution. It added that it had taken steps to ensure future ads would not include similar images and would be approved centrally.
The ASA considered the image on the back of the circular, of the six women wearing underwear and walking towards the camera, was not explicit because the models were not topless, and there was nothing sexually suggestive about their poses. It considered that this image was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence in an untargeted medium where it could be seen by anyone, including children.
But it considered the image of the woman on the front of the circular with the word “Wahoo” covering each of her nipples was explicit and gratuitous as most of the woman’s breasts were exposed.
The ASA also considered the way in which she was pulling her pants down on one side was sexually suggestive. Because of the explicit and sexually suggestive nature of that image, it considered the ad was irresponsible as it was likely to cause serious or widespread offence and was therefore unsuitable for an untargeted medium where it could be seen by anyone, including children.
It ruled the ad must not appear again in its current form. It welcomed CBT’s assurance that it would not use similar images in its ads in future and reminded them to not link alcohol with sexual imagery.
