ASA Non-broadcast Adjudication: LivingTV

Complaint

Objections to four posters for "The 'L' word", a TV show about a group of lesbian friends in L.A. The posters showed various photographs of women's bodies from chest to thigh wearing only knickers and covered in body oil.

a. One poster showed three female bodies. The woman in the centre was wearing knickers with the text "hello girls" printed on them and the lower slopes of her breasts were visible. She had her arm around the woman on the left. The woman standing on the right had placed her hand on the hip of the central figure.

b. The second poster showed one woman standing behind another and holding her. The figure in front was wearing knickers with the text "Girls Allowed."

c. Another poster showed two women holding each other face-to-face. The figure on the left wore knickers with the text "Wednesdays".

d. The last poster showed one woman wearing knickers with the text "hello girls". Her hand was tugging down one side of her knickers.

The complainants objected that the advertisements were offensive, degrading to women and unsuitable to be seen by children.

CAP Code (Edition 11)

Adjudication

Complaints not upheld

Living TV said the posters reflected the style and content of a TV programme about the lives and loves of a group of glamorous gay women. They believed the images were not gratuitous or explicit but referred to the sexual nature of the programme in a playful manner. Living TV argued that the images contained nothing that members of the public had not seen in posters before. While they appreciated that some people may have objected to the advertising of a homosexual TV programme, they did not believe the posters breached the Code on that point. Furthermore, Living TV said they had deliberately designed the posters to be understood by those already aware of homosexuality while excluding younger children.

Living TV said they had sought Copy Advice and conducted their own research before the campaign's final production. Their research results showed that most people would see the posters as playful, entertaining and amusing. Living TV said they had then instructed their contractors not to place the posters near schools or religious establishments.

The Authority noted that Living TV had sought Copy Advice and taken care in the siting of the posters. It acknowledged that the posters had offended some people, nevertheless, the Authority considered that the images were not sexually explicit and accurately reflected the contents of the TV programme. It concluded that the posters were unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence, be seen as degrading to women or unsuitable to be seen by children.