Offensive

Although they only account for a small part of the ASA’s work, complaints about taste and decency are often the most high profile.

Upheld decisions can result in widespread adverse publicity for the company concerned and marketers can be required to have posters pre-vetted by CAP’s Copy Advice team for two years if they publish an offensive poster.

The rules state ads must not contain anything that is likely to cause serious or widespread offence, and specifies that special care must be taken to avoid causing offence on the grounds of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability and age.

When making a decision on whether an ad is likely to cause widespread offence, we take into account: the audience who are likely to see the ad; the context in which the ad appears; the product it’s promoting; and prevailing standards in society. To help judge those standards, from time-to-time, we commission major consumer research to find out what concerns people and where they think the line should be drawn.

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Latest rulings

Tesco Mobile Ltd t/a Tesco Mobile
- Upheld in part
- National newspaper (paid ad), Poster, Social media (paid ad)
- 11 May 2022
We banned ads for replacing expletives with food terms.
Astrasoft Projects Ltd
- Upheld
- Internet (display)
- 13 July 2022
Three online display ads for an online dating service depicting Ukrainian Women were likely to cause serious offence by highlighting their vulnerability and connecting it to their sexual appeal.
OneSoft Studio
- Upheld
- Game (mobile/app)
- 06 July 2022
Two in-game mobile ads were banned for objectifying women, condoning sexual assault and encouraging sexual violence.
Sky UK Ltd
- Not upheld
- Television
- 06 July 2022
We didn’t uphold complaints about a TV ad for Sky Cinema.

View all rulings

Offensive

Although they only account for a small part of the ASA’s work, complaints about taste and decency are often the most high profile.

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Latest rulings

Tesco Mobile Ltd t/a Tesco Mobile

Astrasoft Projects Ltd

OneSoft Studio

Sky UK Ltd

Help getting it right

Popular advice

Offence: Race

Offence: Sexualisation and objectification

Harm and Offence: Gender stereotypes

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