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Ad watchdog rules ad for Adultshop.com product not appropriate for radio

adultshop-logoThe Advertising Standards Board has banned a radio ad for AdultShop.com promoting a product called ‘Womaniser’, ruling the ad is not appropriate for radio as children could be part of the audience.

The radio spot featured a voiceover explaining that the product feels like “Channing Tatum softly kissing and sucking…until I explode…”.

Complainants argued the ad was “highly inappropriate to be on radio in the middle of the day.”

“I find the wording of the whole ad including phrases ‘like being kissed and sucked by Channing Tatum until I explode’ and demonstrating the noise it makes, to be highly inappropriate to be on radio in the middle of the day.

“I have heard the ad several times in the middle of the day whilst listening to the radio with my small children. I feel the content of the ad is more suited for late night when young children are not listening!”

Another complainant said: “The ad is too graphic and compares sounds of other sex toys to this new sex toy and female advertiser mimics the sound of both in air. She then says it feels like Channing Tatum kissing and sucking her softly. Highly inappropriate advertising on daytime radio especially for children.”

The advertiser rejected the claims, suggesting the complaints were based on what they “thought they heard opposed to what was actually said.”

“Adultshop.com is very aware of our requirements under the Advertising Standards Act and how we may specifically relate to section 2.4, pertaining to material of a sexual nature. To this end we have outsourced our advertising creative in order to come up with clever, inferential commercials that avoid any language that would engage children, while getting our communication through to our target audience,” the advertiser said to the board,” the advertiser said.

“If you listen to the commercial, you will see that there is no reference as to where “Channing Tatum” is kissing and really up to the listener’s imagination. There are many people who “explode and quiver like Jelly” while being kissed on the lips by someone they desire.”

The board, whilst noting the product was not specified as an adult toy, took into consideration concerns that children could hear the advertisement and while it did not use explicit language, it put the notion of explicit sexual activity in audiences’ minds.

It was the board’s view that, while the product was legal, the content of the ad was not appropriate for a day-time audience involving children.

In response to the ruling, Adultshop.com said the commercial was part of the March radio campaign and that it had not been to air since March 28 and would not air again.

The company also advised its script writer to “be careful particularly when sounds and deep breathing is being used in commercials.”

Zoe Samios

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