ASA Ruling on Missguided Ltd
Missguided Ltd
Unit 12
Springfield Business Centre
Springfield Lane
Salford
M3 7JQ
Date:
9 April 2014
Media:
Television
Sector:
Retail
Number of complaints:
3
Agency:
The Gate Films
Complaint Ref:
A13-252364
Background
Summary of Council decision:
Two issues were investigated, both of which were Not upheld.
Ad
Two TV ads, for a women's clothing company, featured a young woman posing in different outfits to the song 'Jack' with the repeated lyrics "I want your body, everybody wants your body, so let's Jack."
Issue
1. Two viewers challenged whether the ads were sexually suggestive and inappropriate for broadcast when children might be watching.
2. One viewer challenged whether the ads were suitable for broadcast before 9pm.
BCAP Code
Response
1. & 2.
Missguided said the ads were part of a larger campaign and were created in order for them to be broadcast during programmes considered suitable for children to see. They said the ads were passed by Clearcast without any timing restriction.
Clearcast said they were aware of recent concerns regarding ads for products such as perfumes that often used seductive or sexually suggestive imagery and wanted to ensure that the Missguided ads did not come across as overly sexual and could therefore be shown without a timing restriction. They said, although the model was shown in a dark nightclub setting, she was fully clothed and not exposing parts of her body, such as breasts or bottom. They checked the content with similar advertising that had been passed without a timing restriction and believed that the Missguided ads did not differ significantly in terms of tone or sexually suggestive content.
Clearcast said the song played during the ad referred to a style of dance and not to anything sexual. Consequently they believed that the lyrics were not inappropriate for a younger audience to hear.
Assessment
Not upheld
1. & 2. The ASA noted the model was shown posing in different outfits, but considered that her stance consisted of traditional model poses used to accentuate the clothing, rather than being sexually suggestive. Although the model was briefly shown pouting at the camera, we considered that her action was only mildly sexual in nature and the quick shot was unlikely to be understood by children. The outfits featured in the ads were not particularly revealing, other than a leotard that showed more of the model's legs than the other clothing, but nonetheless there was no sexual connotation attached to the garment.
We understood that the song played during the ads referred to a style of dance. Although the lyrics were open to mild sexual interpretation, we considered that very young children would be unlikely to understand that allusion and the song was not unsuitable for older children, many already likely to be familiar with the song and its dance based lyrics.
We considered that the ads were not sexually explicit or suggestive and were unlikely to cause harm to children or to a more general audience. We therefore concluded that the ads were suitable to be broadcast at anytime.
We investigated the ads under BCAP Code rules 4.1 and 4.2 (Harm and offence) and 32.3 (Scheduling), but did not find it in breach.
Action
No further action necessary.
