A bus-side ad for Marks & Spencer lingerie, which pictured a woman on a bed with her legs apart, back arched, one arm above her head and the other touching her thigh, has been banned by the ad watchdog after a raft of consumer complaints.
M&S ran two poster ads featuring scantily clad models on the side of buses as part of a campaign to promote its Autograph range. Complainants said the ads “objectified women” and were unsuitable for buses as they were “sexually suggestive” and could be seen by children.
Bosses at M&S said they did not believe the ads were “offensive, overtly sexual or objectifying”, adding that they “simply featured the product, a lingerie range, and that they were well known as a lingerie retailer”.
The Advertising Standards Authority cleared one ad, showing models in less suggestive poses, saying that children would “understand the poster was advertising lingerie and, as such, the models would not be fully clothed”.
But it said of the other: “We considered that the image was of an overtly sexual nature and was therefore unsuitable for untargeted outdoor display, as it was likely to be seen by children. We concluded that the advert was socially irresponsible.”
It is not the first time M&S has been blasted for using sexual imagery to advertise its lingerie range.
Earlier this year, the ASA revealed that it had received a host of complaints about previous campaigns, including one with the strapline ‘perfect fits’ (pictured, right). However, the watchdog rejected calls to ban this campaign.
