News

Ad Standards outlaws Goldfingers Mens Club ad for ‘inappropriate’ and ‘sexualised’ outdoor poster

Ad Standards has disciplined a gentleman’s club, Goldfingers Mens Club, for a poster ad which featured a woman in lingerie with a guitar for not treating “the issue of sex, sexuality and nudity with sensitivity”.

The poster ad, on the corner of King Street and Lonsdale Street, was promoting a ‘Hard Rock’ night at the club and showed a “strong suggestion of sexuality” which was portrayed by the positioning of the guitar between her legs and the minimal covering of her crotch.

A complainant alleged the ads were “sexually explicit and suggestive” and were “unavoidable”.

“Even though there is no full frontal nudity, they are still sexually explicit and make me very uncomfortable as I stand by that corner each morning waiting for the traffic lights.

“It’s unavoidable, and I feel unnecessary for the business to advertise such an explicit poster to promote their theme night or weekend,” the complaint posted to Ad Standards said.

The Goldfingers Mens Club responded to the complaints saying the posters were removed as soon as the club was notified of the complaint.

“The poster that was on display is not sexually explicit, the performer in the photo does not have her legs spread wide open as she is kneeling with guitar between her thighs and she does not have her tongue out,” the advertiser said.

The Ad Standards Board said “the positioning of the guitar and the woman’s expression could be interpreted as the woman may be using the guitar for sexual gratification.”

The ad deemed the poster as inappropriate for a wider audience which may include children, concluding the advertiser did not “treat the issue of sex, sexuality and nudity with sensitivity to the relevant broad audience”.

Responding to the determination, Goldfingers Mens Club, apologised for any offence caused and noted the poster was removed.

ADVERTISEMENT

Get the latest media and marketing industry news (and views) direct to your inbox.

Sign up to the free Mumbrella newsletter now.

 

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up to our free daily update to get the latest in media and marketing.