ASA Adjudication on 1st Choice Glazing Ltd
1st Choice Glazing Ltd
14c Glasgow Road
Bathgate
EH48 2AB
Date:
1 February 2012
Media:
Magazine, Regional press
Sector:
Household
Number of complaints:
1
Complaint Ref:
A11-170231
Ad
A regional press ad and a mobile poster ad for a glazing company:
a. The regional press ad was headlined "Others Measure - We Fit" and featured a photograph of a naked woman seen behind a window, shown from the neck to the waist. The woman's breasts were mostly covered by two large flowers.
b. A poster ad, seen on a mobile poster site situated in various locations including a field next to a main road was headlined "Other Measure - We Fit". The ad featured a photograph of a naked woman seen behind a window, shown from the neck to the waist. The woman's breasts were mostly covered by two large flowers. Text underneath the image stated "Massive deals!".
Issue
The complainant challenged whether:
1. press ad (a) was offensive because they believed the image objectified woman; and
2. poster ad (b) was offensive for the same reason.
The ASA challenged whether:
3. poster ad (b) was irresponsible because it could be seen by children.
CAP Code (Edition 12)
Response
1., 2., & 3. 1st Choice Glazing believed that the press and poster image did not objectify women and stated that they had been tastefully shot in order to ensure decency. They stated that the image was no more revealing than others that appeared in some ads for cars or drinks and believed that the tongue-in-cheek image was unlikely to cause offence. They agreed that children might have seen the poster but stated that they were exposed to far more explicit images whilst watching popular programmes set on beaches, or during pop star videos and TV shows.
Smartlocal stated that the image had been widely used in the advertising campaigns for a number of years and that to date they had not received any complaints from their 120,000 readers.
Assessment
1,. 2,. & 3 Upheld
The ASA noted the woman's breasts were partly covered by the flowers and that the image was not presented in an overtly sexual way. However, we also noted the woman's head was not included in the image and considered that consumers would understand from the ad that they were being invited to view her naked torso and, in particular, her breasts. We considered that, because the product being advertised was unrelated to the image, the nakedness was incongruous and the image was likely to be seen to be an objectification of the woman in the ads and therefore of women in general. We further considered that the text "Others Measure - We Fit" and "Massive deals!" in conjunction with the images were likely to be seen as innuendo and contribute to that impression. We therefore concluded that ads (a) and (b) were likely to cause serious offence. We also concluded that ad (b) was irresponsible because it could be seen by children.
On these points ads (a) and (b) breached CAP Code (Edition 12) 4.1 (Harm and offence). Ad (b) also breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rule 3.1 (Social responsibility).
Action
Ads (a) and (b) should not appear again in their current form.
