A newspaper ad for a WA sex shop has broken the Advertising Standards Bureau’s (ASB) code with images of a vibrator and a woman in red lingerie.
But the advertiser hit out at the board, calling it ‘biased’ and ‘not reflective of community standards’.
The ruling is the latest in a line of sex-related ASB breaches, which included a recent controversial ruling on Zoo Weekly’s Facebook content.
One of the SindeRellas adult store ads to breach the ‘sensitivity to audience’ section of the code showed a woman’s wearing leather-look underpants and fishnet stockings, while another showed a woman in red lingerie. There were also pictures of sex toys.
The complainant said: “This is a free community newspaper…. This is unfair that my son has been subjected to this. He is only 6 years old.”
They said they had reported their grievance to the Mandurah Mail, but were told the ad was staying.
The ASB said the accompanying text that reads ‘sex in the shower’ draws attention to the sexual nature of the imagery and is therefore not appropriate for a broad audience, which includes children.
In response, the advertiser, SindeRellas, said the ad has been taken down, but only because it had passed its ‘use-by date’.
“Sinderellas feel the board's decision is biased and not reflective of community standards and expectations,” a spokesperson said.
“Sex in the shower brand sold over 700 units and was advertised in four Fairfax papers covering 93% of the massive peel region. Total complaints –1—.
“Please do not lecture us on sensitivity… We almost invented the word,” they concluded.
