Sexual Four Seasons condoms ad and Hungry Jack’s seat belt flouting TVC banned
Burger chain Hungry Jack’s pulled an advert for its Chicken Crunch Burger because the people in a car are not wearing seat belts, while a controversial Four Seasons condom commercial has also officially been barred by the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB).
The Four Seasons ad by filmmaker Gary Eck which showed two people having sex in a pharmacy to get the right sized condom, had originally not been given a classification by the Commercials Advice Division of Free TV meaning it could not be shown on the small screen, but was allowed to be screened before MA15+ rated movie Bad Grandpa.
However, it drew a number of complaints from “astounded” viewers who said they found the ad “confronting” and “highly offensive and disturbing”.
The board agreed, and despite the company saying it had pulled the ad the week before, said it was inappropriate to show it before MA15+ films, which are likely to have children under the age of 15 in them accompanied by adults, concluding “it did not treat sex with sensitivity to the relevant audience”.
The Burger King ad showed a group of people in a car at the beach with the driver reverse parallel parking until he hears a loud ‘crunch’ noise making him think he had hit something. It transpires the noise is made by a passenger eating the burger.
Two complainants wrote to the ASB saying no-one in the car was wearing a seat belt, with one describing claiming you could see the seatbelt hanging by the passenger, adding: “In this day and age of safety and doing the right thing in cars here you have an add [sic] showing people in a car not wearing seat belts!”
In reply the company had argued the rules of the road mean a driver performing a reversing maneuver does not have to wear a belt, and claimed it was not apparent whether the passengers were wearing one or not, but said road rules meant they also did not have to.
It added: “The focus of the TVC is at all times is on the humorous and exaggerated noise of the “crunch” noise emanating from the burger being eaten. Hungry Jack’s at no time intended to imply or condone drivers or passengers travelling in motor vehicles without seatbelts, other than in a manner in accordance with the Australian Road Rules.”
However, the board disagreed with this assessment, arguing the most likely interpretation of the scene is that the passenger did not have her seatbelt fastened at any stage while the vehicle was moving” and therefore the ad contravened the code.
In its response to the ruling Hungry Jack’s said: “We do believe that you have not correctly considered the fact that the car was reversing and therefore legally seat belts are not required to be worn.
“Despite this, we have decided to discontinue the advertisement.”
Alex Hayes
A genital free condom commercial “Confronting” – “highly offensive” – “disturbing”. Are we losing headway to Victorian prudishness? Perhaps there is a need to change the brand name from ‘Naked’ to ‘Camouflage’? That way the ‘prissy’ among us will never see what’s coming. No. Please. Don’t moan.
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Not appropriate pre Johnny Knoxville movie?
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