ASA Adjudication on Checkit UK Ltd

Ad

An ad in Credit Today Magazine, for Checkit credit services, was headlined "It's all about passion" and featured two women wearing lingerie, in a bed, with their arms around each other as they moved to kiss. They were between two men who were watching them. Beneath the image was the claim “Checkit can enable you to do business with everyone. On the right terms - Every Time”

Issue

The complainant objected that the image was offensive.

CAP Code (Edition 11)

Response

Checkit UK Ltd (Checkit) said they had launched a new web-based commercial credit checking service in January 2007 with a campaign, which ran in the trade press, centred on the strap line "It's all about passion".  They said the campaign ended with the ad in question in May.  Checkit said, because they provided unlimited access to commercial credit reports for only £12 per week, the campaign had sought to emphasise their 'passion' for credit checking.  They believed their message was positive, in contrast to the classic negative view of credit checking as risk prevention, and considered that the extension of credit was beneficial to their customers clients. Checkit said various clichd scenes of 'passion' were used to attract attention and focus on the new Checkit service. They said the images used in the campaign were selected as typical of the type of material appearing on television, in Sunday supplements and various lifestyle magazines. Checkit also said they had been commended within the industry for highlighting the positive message behind credit risk assessment and for bringing fun imagery to an area often viewed as staid. Checkit added that the campaign had now ended but they did not accept that the ad was offensive.

Credit Today said they had approached the CAP Copy Advice team for guidance on ads in Checkit's campaign.  One of the ads had depicted two women in a bed, which they believed implied a lesbian relationship.  They said the CAP Copy Advice team had said the ad, and others with similar sexual themes, were likely to be acceptable.  They said, however, the Copy Advice team had advised against them publishing the ad under investigation. They said they had not understood how the ad under investigation differed from the others and questioned why a foursome was more socially unacceptable than a lesbian encounter.  They had therefore published the ad despite CAP advice not to.

Credit Today said they had received no complaints directly and pointed out that their readers were almost entirely business people and, therefore, children were extremely unlikely to see the ad. They believed their readers would have understood that the 'passion' referred to by Checkit was to be taken in a tongue-in-cheek manner.  Credit Today said they had anticipated that the ads would be controversial but felt they fell on the right side of decency. They pointed out that there was no explicit nudity and the ads were no more explicit than several high profile billboard campaigns. They believed those similar ads were more likely to cause offence because of the less targeted media in which they appeared. Credit Today said they had notified Checkit of the CAP Copy Advice team's decision and gave them the opportunity to replace the ad.

Assessment

Upheld

The ASA noted the CAP Copy Advice team had advised Credit Today against accepting the ad because, irrespective of the audience, they believed it was likely to cause serious or widespread offence.  We considered that the ad featured gratuitous sexual imagery and sexual innuendo.  Although we noted the adult readership of Credit Today, we concluded that the ad was likely to cause serious or widespread offence.  

The ad breached CAP Code clause 5.1 (Offence).

Action

We told Checkit no to use the ad again.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Non-broadcast)