ITV gets slap for Durex ad cock-up

ITV gets slapped for Durex ad cock-upITV has been spanked by the advertising watchdog after scheduling a racy ad for condom brand Durex during an episode of You’ve Been Framed, which is highly popular among kids aged under 10.
The ad, by Havas Worldwide, opened with an animated black and white cartoon of a man and a woman. As it progressed, it turned into real-life images as the couple kissed and as the woman touched the man’s chest and the man pulled down the woman’s stockings.
The voice-over stated: “Real Feel. The first natural feeling condom from Durex.” On-screen text stated: “Love sex. Durex.”
But seven complainants, who saw the ad at 7:45pm, objected that it had been inappropriately scheduled during a programme that was likely to have a significant appeal to children.
In its defence, ITV maintained that the ad – which it claimed was not explicit – had been given a post-7:30pm restriction and therefore was suitable for broadcast at that time.
The company also provided viewer data for You’ve Been Framed episodes which had been broadcast in the four weeks prior to the ad, which showed few kids had been watching.
However, the Advertising Standards Authority carried out a far more detailed viewer data analysis which showed that during that four-week period, under-10s had been watching the show on just under half the occasions on which it was broadcast at 7:30pm.
While conceding the ad was more suggestive than explicit, the ASA cited the BCAP Code, which says ads for condoms should not to be advertised in, or adjacent to, programmes commissioned for, principally directed at or likely to appeal particularly to children aged under 10.
Rebuking the broadcaster, the ASA warned ITV Broadcasting to take care when scheduling condom ads around You’ve Been Framed in the future.

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  1. ITV gets slap for Durex ad cock-up http://t.co/TMAdAJ7JKo #advertising #analytics #digitalmarketing

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