Advertising watchdog dismisses complaints against Ella Baché’s naked models
The Advertising Standards Board has dismissed complaints from the public against an Ella Baché ad depicting three smiling naked models.
The decision vindicates advice from the Outdoor Media Association which said that the smiling version of the campaign would be acceptable to the ASB but warned that a version with more serious expressions could be seen as overly-sexualised.
As a result of the OMA advice, outdoor media owners told Ella Baché they could not run the serious faced version. The beauty brand got around this by featuring it in a light box installation around Circular Quay in Sydney in the run up to The Fleet Review.
One complaint to the ASB about the smiling version of the ad said: “From media reports it appears this ad was discussed prior to going up and apparently because the women were smiling it was approved. The OMA is out of touch with community standards. This ad is not acceptable because there are 3 naked women. It has nothing to do with their facial expressions. If these 3 women were in public without clothes on they would be arrested.”
Ella Baché defended the ad, telling the ASB: “There is no full frontal nudity or images of genitalia depicted in the advertisement. The nudity is otherwise discreet and appropriate in the context of the key message of the advertisement, being ‘Skin Solutions As Individual As You Are’, and relevant to the brand and skincare products of Ella Baché. We also note that in no way does the advertisement sexualise or objectify women; to the contrary it is the intention and result of the advertisement to depict happy and healthy women who are confident in the skin they are in.”
The ad watchdog ruled: “Whilst the women are clearly naked they are positioned in a way which ensures their private areas are covered. The Board noted that the advertised product is a skin care lotion and considered that it is reasonable for an advertiser to show skin when advertising such a product providing that the image does not breach the provisions of the Code. The Board noted the complainants’ concerns that the image is sexualised and considered that the inclusion of nudity does not of itself amount to sexualisation. The Board noted that the woman are posing in a manner which suggests they are happy and confident and considered that the women are not posing in a sexual manner and that the overall image is not sexualised.”
The serious version of the Ella Bache image displayed at Customs House | Pic: Elly Wright
However, the OMA’s verdict that the other version of the ad would have been banned is unikely to be tested. A spokesperson for the ASB told Mumbrella that no complaints were made about the installation during its time on display at Circular Quay.
Miranda Ward
Miranda Ward worked for Mumbrella from 2013 to 2017, eventually becoming deputy editor. Miranda joined Mumbrella in September 2013 from Sky News.
Linkedin