Advertising Standards Bureau - Review of Operations 2013 | Page 42

exposed to the advertisement. References to
porking the neighbours (Australian Pork – 0269/13)
were also dismissed consistent with previous
determinations from this campaign.

Sexual references in outdoor media
In 2013 the Board considered several
advertisements in outdoor media which included
inappropriate language with direct connections
to sex. A bus advertisement with the statement
improve your sex life (Global Health Products
– 0155/13) was found to breach standards of
appropriate language. In the Board’s view the
statement was explicitly related to sex and was
inappropriate for a transport advertisement with a
large audience. Similarly, the phrase blow job was
considered inappropriate in a Wicked Campers
(0078/13) transport advertisement. The Board
determined this clear reference to a sexual act was
inappropriate for a van with a wide audience that
could include children, and found this case to be
in breach of Section 2.5.
An Advanced Medical Institute (0272/13)
billboard advertisement was also found in
breach of Section 2.5 for stating making love in
conjunction with make it bigger and last longer.
The Board considered that in the context of the
product being sold the word combination would
most likely be seen as a strong sexual reference.
The Board considered that in this particular
billboard format this language is not appropriate
for a broad audience that would include children.

Obscene terms
The Board has consistently deemed the word fuck
expressed in full to be a breach of Section 2.5 as
a strong and obscene term. The phrases fuck it
dude (Wicked Campers – 0101/13) and fuck you
too (Wicked Campers – 0403/13) were found in
breach of Section 2.5 for expressing the profanity

in full on a van where children were likely to view
the images.
In 2013 the Board made an exception where
Prince Bandroom (0087/13) published the name
of a band Holy Fuck in the entertainment section
of a newspaper. Due to the placement of this
advertisement the Board considered that it would

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be seen by only mature viewers and was unlikely
to be viewed by children. The Board dismissed
complaints in this instance.

Acceptable terms
A lingerie campaign attracted several complaints
for using the word boobs in transport (Bonds –
0368/13 & 0381/13), poster (Bonds - 0382/13)
and billboard (Bonds – 0361/13 & 0373/13) form.
Concerns surrounded the use of the word boobs
in public areas where children may be exposed to
the language. The Board determined that the word
boobs was not strong, obscene or inappropriate.
Boobs, the Board felt, was not strongly sexualised
and was likely to be seen as being in the context of
a brand which sells bras.
The words ass (Civic Video – 0057/13, Reckitt
Benckiser – 0235/13 & Go Health Clubs –
0387/13), fecking (Universal – 0212/13), crap
(Puratap – 0287/13) and bastards (CardioTech
– 0390/13) when used in a non-threatening
and non-aggressive format have been deemed
acceptable under Section 2.5. Although these
terms have been deemed acceptable by the Board
in these particular cases, it is important to note
that they were cleared in the context of these
specific advertisements. It is possible for the Board
to uphold other cases with the same language if
the context of the advertisement is made stronger
by menacing or threatening imagery or a more
sexually explicit nature, for example.
A young boy telling his sister to shut up (IKEA
– 0353/13 & 0355/13) was also considered
acceptable. The Board noted that when the
brother and sister tell each other to shut up they
are not speaking in an aggressive manner and
considered that their exchange is a realistic and
common exchange between siblings. The Board
noted that the phrase shut up is part of common
vernacular consistent with sibling relationships
and considered that in this instance the use of
the words shut up were not inappropriate in
the circumstances.

Advertising Standards Bureau