The ad watchdog has cleared a television ad for adult event Sexpo, despite complaints of overt sexuality during an inappropriate time slot.
The ad featured women in bikinis, shirtless men and the catch-cry of “everyone's going to Sexpo!”, along with the offer of “huge shopping” and the opportunity to meet “international adult stars”. The ad was for the Townsville version of the event.
The Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) received a complaint stating the ad was aired “every second ad break” during the family-friendly time-slot featuring Australia's Got Talent.
A complainant wrote: “[The ad] is really quite distasteful and in your face and really doesn't leave much to the imagination. As a mother of children it's hard enough to protect them of all the negative influences out there but to have it blatantly plastered across the TV screen during a family program is really disgusting.”
The advertiser, Sexpo Pty Ltd, argued the complaints were unfounded as the ad was “given a PG rating” by FreeTV Australia and “was eligible for that time slot”.
The ASB stated the ad was “only mildly sexualised” and had not violated the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice by airing in an inappropriate timeslot for its TV industry-granted PG rating.
The ASB ruled the ad was not in breach of advertising standards, stating: “This advertisement is for a sex related product - a Sex expo - and mildly sexually suggestive images of both women and men are relevant to that product or service.”
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