No more sensible knickers: ‘Overtly sexual’ M&S lingerie ad is banned
A MARKS and Spencer lingerie advert which appeared on the side of buses in Britain has been banned for being "overtly sexual" and unsuitable for children.
The poster, which pictured a stocking-clad woman kneeling on a bed with her legs wide apart and back arched, was deemed "socially irresponsible" by the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA).
The watchdog ordered the store to remove the advert promoting its Autograph range of of lingerie from all outdoor displays.
It launched an investigation after receiving 15 complaints from members of the public about the image and another for the high street retailer in September.
The complainants said the images "objectified women", were "sexually suggestive" and were likely to be seen by youngsters.
The ASA cleared one advert, saying it was "mildly sexual" but that children would understand that the poster was advertising lingerie and, as such, the models would not be fully clothed.
However, it deemed the pose of the model in the second poster more seductive, saying: "We considered that the pose of the woman kneeling on the bed was overtly sexual, as her legs were wide apart, her back arched and one arm above her head with the other touching her thigh. We also noted that the woman in this image wore stockings.
"We considered that the image was of an overtly sexual nature and was therefore unsuitable for untargeted outdoor display, as it was likely to be seen by children. We concluded that the ad was socially irresponsible."
- Tom Lawrence
