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Ad Standards Board rules against Advanced Medical Institute for second time

AMIA modified TV ad for the Advanced Medical Institute has been ruled against by the ad watchdog for ridiculing men with sexual performance issues, the same reason the Ad Standards Board ruled against the original version of the ad in October.

The ad features women announcing whilst in bed they are not happy with their partner’s premature ejaculation problems, before walking out on their balconies and shouting they cannot take it any more. A man then responds with a megaphone to tell the unhappy women to check out AMI’s treatment options for PE.

Complaints against the ad argued it was “inappropriate” and “crude” and could be advertised more “tastefully”.

“Watching this in front of a 13- year-old is uncomfortable especially during a family movie,” one complainant said. “Commercials such as these refrain our kids from spending time in front of the tv or leaving embarrassed at watching this content with us. We were watching the man in the iron mask.”

A further complaint suggested it implied that “men are at fault over a very serious physical and psychological issue”.

The Advanced Medical Institute defended the spot, arguing it treated sex and sexuality with sensitivity and that the ad was a “toned down” version of the previous commercial. It added it was not seeking to be critical of people in any way.

In its ruling, the ASB noted that the product is legally allowed to be advertised and that the matter of product suitability is not a matter for the board.

But in upholding the complaints, the board ruled the “women are vocal in their disappointment with their partners’ sexual performances” and considered “the tone and text of the advertisement (in particular each woman’s apparent frustration) were suggestive of intolerance towards these men”.

In addition, there no “sufficiently different impact” to the previous ad.

The TVC has since been discontinued.

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