ASA Ruling on Spartan Motor Factors Ltd
Spartan Motor Factors Ltd
35 Malpas Road
Newport
Gwent
NP20 5PB
Date:
11 June 2014
Media:
Internet (on own site)
Sector:
Business
Number of complaints:
1
Complaint Ref:
A14-259530
Ad
The home page of www.spartanmotorfactors.co.uk, a motor vehicle parts supplier, featured a close-up picture of a woman's bottom clothed in fishnet tights and underwear shorts with the company's logo printed on them. Text stated "Small enough to offer the personal touch. SHORT & ROUND".
Issue
An internet user challenged whether the ad was offensive, because it objectified women.
CAP Code (Edition 12)
Response
Spartan Motor Factors believed their advertising was no different from that of other car part suppliers in Wales. They explained that "SHORT & ROUND" referred to an event they had sponsored at the time the ad appeared and "Small enough to offer the personal touch" was their company strapline. They were the smallest car part supplier in the area and not part of a larger company. They said the ad had been removed from their website.
Assessment
Upheld
The ASA considered that, although the close up image of a scantily clad woman's bottom was not sexually explicit it nonetheless had sexual connotations, which was heightened by the text that stated "Small enough to offer the personal touch" and "SHORT & ROUND". The image bore no relevance to the advertised service and we considered it was therefore likely to be seen as sexist and to demean and objectify women by using their physical features for no other reason than to draw attention to the ad. We therefore concluded that the ad was likely to cause serious offence to some consumers.
The ad breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 1.3 (Social responsibility) and 4.1 (Harm and offence).
Action
The ad must not appear again in its current form.
