Stiff rebuke for Sky over Durex ad

The ad watchdog has come down hard on Sky TV after it aired an ad for Durex – featuring suggestive sexual scenes – straight after the transmission of Ice Age 4 on Sky Movies Premiere.
The ad, which did not contain nudity or sex, depicted various couples in the throes of sensual embraces, accompanied by shots of condoms and sexual lubricants and a voiceover “Great sex is … when it’s so powerful you can’t stop feeling the intensity all over”. It ended with the strapline: “When great sex moves you, nothing else matters.”
And although it was aired at 9.32pm – way beyond the watershed – one viewer complained to the Advertising Standards Authority because it was shown directly after a film that was likely to attract audiences below the age of 16.
Sky apologised for any offence caused but said it had analysed the predicted ratings of previous films scheduled at that time, which indicated levels well below the proportion of children that would require further restriction.
But though the ASA acknowledged younger children may not understand the sexual references, it said the ad promoted a brand of condoms and therefore was broadcast at an unsuitable time because it was scheduled around a programme commissioned to appeal to children, including those less than 10 years old.
In its final ruling the ASA banned the ad or any others like it from being scheduled around a film with a potentially young audience in the future.