A ‘sexist’ ad in a British car magazine has been banned for “objectifying women.” The ad featured no nudity and was banned after a single complaint from a disgruntled reader. PC gone mad?
The ad for Strasse, a Porsche garage in Leeds, ran in the February edition of 911 and Porsche World Magazine. Captioned “Attractive Servicing,” it featured a female mechanic clad in a figure-hugging black skirt and tights, partially hidden under a car and surrounded by tools.
The ad received a solitary complaint, prompting the Advertising Standards Authority to investigate. On Wednesday, the regulator announced it would ban the ad.
Strasse had tried to appeal the complaint, arguing that the power tools in the picture “empowered” the woman, and that the garage’s rates were the truly “attractive” offering.
The ASA had none of it, ruling that the double entendre “was likely to be viewed as demeaning towards women.”
“We concluded the ad was not sexually explicit, but by using a suggestive image that bore no relevance to the advertised product, the ad objectified women and was likely to cause serious offence to some people,” the ASA said.
If the ASA considered the imagery of a fully clothed, attractive woman “likely to cause serious offense,” some of Strasse’s other online ads would be liable to cause full-on mental breakdown.
The team at Strasse have received criticism for their cheeky ads before, but responded in jest.