ASA Adjudication on Antonio Federici

Ad

An ad, which appeared in Delicious Magazine and Sainsbury’s Magazine, for Antonio Federici Gelato Italiano ice cream, showed a priest and a nun looking as if they were about to kiss. The nun was in full habit and the priest was wearing rosary beads around his neck and holding a pot of ice cream in his hand. Text stated "KISS TEMPTATION".

Issue

Ten complainants thought the suggestion of a kiss between a priest and a nun was offensive, because it demeaned people who had chosen to follow a religious vocation.

CAP Code

Response

Antonio Federici said the ad was intended as a light-hearted, tongue in cheek portrayal celebrating forbidden Italian temptations which their Gelato Italiano ice cream represented.  They considered that, in an age where religion was frequently used in a humorous way in the media, the image would not offend the vast majority of readers.  They felt this was borne out by the small number of complaints received.  They considered the ad was unlikely to offend deeply a minority of people.  In their view, there was nothing in the ad that was likely to cause either serious or widespread offence.

Antonio Federici said it was significant that the image did not show the nun and priest touching, or kissing and the reader was therefore left pondering their dilemma - would they or would they not succumb to temptation and kiss?  They considered the complaints were therefore concerned with the implication of the ad, not the ad itself, and pointed out that each individuals reaction to it would be shaped by their own values and experiences.  

Seven Squared Publishing, who published Delicious and Sainsburys Magazines, explained that both publications were targeted at an adult audience aged between 25 and 55 years.  They felt the ad was tongue in cheek and unlikely to offend their readers.  They received two complaints from Delicious Magazine readers and five complaints from Sainsburys Magazine readers.  They apologised for any offence caused and advised they had no plans to publish the ad again in future issues.

Assessment

Upheld

The ASA noted the ad played on the theme of giving into temptation but stopped short of showing the nun and priest kissing.  The ad stated "KISS TEMPTATION" and the two were portrayed in a seductive pose, as if they were about to kiss passionately.

We considered that the portrayal of the priest and nun in a sexualised manner and the implication that they were considering whether or not to give in to temptation, was likely to cause serious offence to some readers.  

The ad breached CAP Code clause 5.1 (Decency).

Action

The ad must not appear again in its current form.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Non-broadcast)