Facebook and Instagram ban Berlei bra ad for ‘fear of potential offence’
The Monkey’s first ad for underwear company Berlei – following the agency’s appointment in June – has been rejected by Facebook and Instagram on the grounds the ad does not comply with the social media company’s policies.
Facebook and Instagram rejected the commercial “out of fear of potential offence to the community”.
The ad features videos of women trying to put on bras or show off their breasts.
According to statements provided by Berlei, Facebook’s ad policy does not allow videos to focus on just one body part.
Despite Berlei appealing the ad ban, Facebook rejected the request.
According to Berlei, Facebook will not allow the ad on the social media platforms because of “the pixilated nudity, overt focus on bouncing breasts and overly zoomed images”.
Berlei said the concepts for the ad were developed through surveying over 500 Australian women on what their biggest struggles are when wearing a bra.
“It shows that not all bras have been very kind to women – no matter their age, shape or size.
“The ad highlights the daily realities women have with their breasts in an honest and authentic way. Like the bra itself, the ad was designed to empower women to care for and invest in themselves,” the underwear company noted.
The company said the banning of the ad on social media highlights “society’s issues where breasts are classed as sexual property”.
Facebook had not replied to Mumbrella at the time of publishing the article.
Abigail Dawson was Mumbrella's senior content journalist covering event content. She left Mumbrella to move into an agency role in 2020.
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I personally like the ad – and think it’s been done tastefully – but that’s my two cents.
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So let me understand this. A woman’s breasts,a natural part of the human body that are capable of giving sustenance (i.e. life) to our offspring are not acceptable. But you are allowed to champion your love of the nazi party and subsequent torture and death of millions of people. Hate = good. Human body = bad.
No…we’re not fucked at all as a society are we? Oh no, we’re absolutely fine. Carry on.
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How ridiculous. Time & time again, people I know have attempted to have racist or demeaning content removed from Facebook without success, yet something like this is rejected. Then again, if this story gets any traction, they won’t need to spend any money on advertising as it’ll be picked up by the news sites ( and why wouldn’t it, it’s got boobs & boobs = clicks!)
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Of all the hypocrisy! Facebook and Instagram really need to do some serious soul-searching here!
Instagram is more guilty of letting through some of the most lascivious, provocative and potentially offensive images of young women (mostly put up by young men but also the young women themselves) than the Berlei ad is even hinting at.
Facebook is also equally culpable of letting through quite offensive posts while raining down on quite innocent posts (the most famous being a picture of a woman whose elbow dangling over the side of her bath was mistaken for a breast!).
If the ad is being shown on TV with no issues, then there should be no problem with it appearing on social media.
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Seriously FB and Instagram?? your hypocrisy is breathtaking!
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They let working girls ‘advertise’ on Facebook and Instagram, but their ‘Politically Incorrect’ department has the audacity to ban this ad? Seriously – I sincerely hope that the women of Australia delete their Facebook and Instagram accounts pronto
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What rubbish. Well produced, not gratuitous. Compared to so much other tripe, is a ridiculous decision.
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Well! Its factual, well shot and edited, and it deals almost exclusively with its product and the advantages. Surely we have all seen breasts before in may shapes and sizes, what is all the fuss about?
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Thank you Bob, Roberto and SA. I am both a marketer and member of this ‘target audience’. Firstly, the campaign completely hits the mark and deals in ‘refreshing’ realities. Congrats to Berlei and their creative team.. Secondly, as you all outlined, I am sure there must be at least a million more actual ‘objectionable’ images being loaded up this very second to both FB/Insta. Bad ruling indeed.
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Great ad, that is well produced, engaging and not crude, rude or lewd. What a poor publisher decision.
Well done to the client and agency team for a great piece of work. Love the ‘Womankind’ positioning – strong, clear, simple.
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Ridiculous decision by Facebook, given that the ad was no doubt only targeted to women over 18.
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But Facebook’s Carolyn Everson was telling Australian marketers in Adnews how important it is that brands don’t run TVCs and instead create bespoke content because that’s more powerful. According to Everson “There’s three different consumer behaviours – on the go, lean forward and lean back”
Or the fourth, Carolyn – ‘Avert your eyes or be offended’
The hypocrisy. This is why marketers increasingly don’t give a flying fuck about what Facebook execs have to say. They’re the tech industry equivalent of used car salesman. The advice – doled out by people with barely an understanding of brand strategy – cannot be taken seriously.
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I have encountered a similarly ridiculous ad ban from FB myself. Until April I owned a small business that specialised in eradicating highly toxic paralysis ticks from Sydney back yards (in addition to being a V/O artist with RMK). When I ran a FB ad showing a picture of a tick actively biting a person’s scalp (my own as it happens) the ad was removed by FB who claimed that the ad “showed part of person’s body as being either especially desirable or undesirable”.
As for appealing this decision – you may as well argue with a robot…
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Don’t any women work at Facebook? The white male media market strikes again.
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Where exactly do they let working girls advertise on Facebook & Instagram? `
Asking for a friend..
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Having vastly improved my life by getting rid of instagram and twitter I am looking forward to exiting Facebook. But so far I have been unable to delete any of my fake profiles …
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Thank you Sheila. What do you know about the black male media market? any comments from them?
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I think the ad about the berlei bras is unnecessary, especially when kids are watching tv and see the ad. I feel they show too much
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I think the ad is distasteful and a bit revealing. Kids dont need to see this
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Are you aware Facebook owns Instagram ??
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