Nando’s Little Hotties campaign cleared by Ad Standards
Nando’s ‘Little Hotties’ campaign has been reprieved by the Ad Standards Bureau, which threw out complaints that online, radio and outdoor executions were degrading to woman and inappropriately sexual.
The ASB’s verdict comes as a vindication for Nando’s marketing director Kim Russell, who has defended the campaign, calling it “sassy not sexy”.
In the radio ad, a voice over announced: “Tight buns. Great breasts. And oh so saucy! These little hotties have got it all!”, before directing listeners to the Littlehotties.net.au website.
One complaint suggested that it was inappropriate to promote Nando’s “soft porn” microsite on national radio “using language that portrays women as sex objects”.
A complaint made against the microsite read: “To get on to lingerie websites you need to declare that you are over 18. This is a low-level pornographic site and should be restricted as such.”
The advertiser insisted that “Tight buns” and “Great breasts” referred to the contents of its mini-burger.
The ASB ruled that although Nando’s “frequently pushes the boundaries to just within the limits of the code of ethics” in this instance it does not breach the code.
Soft porn? Looks like many people have never been to a soft porn website, which show a lot more skin / a lot less clothes than this website! There’s a lot more “porn” in a Katie Perry video.
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I really like what Nando’s marketing team does, they always manage to make me smile, and I’m gonna go to Nando’s for my lunch now
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I really hate what Nando’s marketing team does, they always manage to make me spew, and I’m gonna go to Nando’s for my lunch now, so I can spew even more.
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Excellent – common sense prevailed!
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The stripping mum was loads better.
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Well the nandos marketing strategy obviously works but at what cost? Shame on you Kim Russell for continuing such a revolting idea. No shit we know sex sells but why not try selling your product in a clever way (or perhaps improve it?!?) and you won’t run the risk of pissing off women
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I think it’s really well done. And I’m going to guess that the majority of their customers are men, so naturally target your audience with your advertising. If I was looking for “soft-porn” and declared that I was over 18 (which isn’t even a thing for soft porn websites) then I would be disappointed, as this is an advertising campaign… the fact that so many people complained and it has got all this attention shows it’s having its desired effect, and nandos will be laughing all the way to the bank. Women need to chill out, have a burger
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mmmm, seems to be mostly men approving….surprise! wonder what proportion of women think this is ok? And that its ok on national radio….for my kids to hear? And re the comment women should just chill out more…great. thats really helpful. I’ll bear that in mind when somone is next abusive and discriminatory about the fact I am a woman. Sounds a bit like the idea that women should just lie back and think of Queen Victoria.
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uhhhhhh this is so completely typical of the media and if you don’t have a problem with it, it’s because society has been completely desensitized to the use of women’s BODIES to sell products, we deserve more!! I am a woman and these women do not represent me.
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Women aren’t decoration.
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I think there is an equal amount of advertising that degrades men and women. Check out the most recent Rio ads. isn’t that equality?
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Beat it feminist scum!
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Uuhh…I’m sorry, am I eating a chicken burger, or a sexy woman? That’s a little awkward to say the least. Ads like this “brand” women as sex objects, whether they realise it or not. As a young, single woman, I don’t want to be called “sexy” or “hot”. I don’t want to see other women dressed in clothes designed for the bedroom. I don’t want to be pursued for my looks, nor told my the media that I SHOULD be pursued for my looks simply because I’m a woman. While some women may pretend or even believe that this is what they want, when they’ve been used for their “sexy” looks and then tossed aside for another “sexier” woman for the sake of lust, they ain’t gonna feel so great about it.
Every woman wants to be pursued by a real man – a real man who loves her for her personality and character. A real man who says she’s beautiful, both in looks and as a person. A real man who cherishes her, protects her at all costs, and stays with her for the rest of their lives.
I know sex sells, but money can’t by happiness.
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Love it! – Kim’s exactly right, the brand is cheeky, thats all this is meant to be. This is no more sexual than other ad’s floating about, women or men included. As a woman i’m not offended in the slightest – where has our humour gone if we can’t have a laugh over a little cheek?
Once again Nandos have generated a fantastic buzz around an entertaining campaign. Great work!
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I’m sick of Australia filtering everything from our advertising to our government policy to our football to Australian families. Ulitmately families are a vocal minority that ruin everything for the sake of their bloody kids!
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The filtering is unfortunately necessary, Gen Y, because of the increasing pornogrification of our culture so that this kind of add is seen as perfectly OK for broadcast at all times to all audiences. The boundaries between mainstram and pornography are becoming increasingly blurred – just look at the t-shirts being pushed to young men in stores, showing naked women, bound and gagged. Is this what we want to become the norm in our society? Well, it isn’t what I want and it is not what I want my kids believing is “just normal and everywhere”.
And your comment about Australian families being a “vocal minority” just made be laugh out loud. What? No family, Gen Y? Found under a cabbage leaf were you? Keep up the good work, Collective Shout and everyone who took the time to lodge a complaint.
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I whole-heartedly agree with Theremightbegiants.
Bri, the problem here is that what used to be funny as “a little cheek”, is now so “normal” in society that it’s not funny to anyone anymore. So people have pushed it further and further to be more and more sexually explicit, for “a little cheek”. This current jest will soon (if it’s not already) become more and more normal, until even the poeple who find it funny now, need something more shocking to satisfy their taste for “cheeky humour”. How far will we let it go?? Showing a woman’s knees used to be shocking, and now woman lounge around in lingerie on national television and it’s OK? If we let little things like this go on, what we find shocking and over the line today, will eventually be all too “normal” for our future society. The question is, what world would you want your children or the people you love the most, to live in?
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Kim is a smart marketer – I am sure she is happy with what she is doing
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