A Townsville nightclub has pulled a titillating billboard which appeared to show a woman's nipple after the ad watchdog ruled it showed nipple and was degrading to women. But the venue has claimed it wasn't actually nipple, rather a graphic design issue.
The out-of-home ad showed a woman in a bra with substantial cleavage. It was accompanied by the words "I'm waiting xxx" and "friendly girls for a guaranteed welcome".
One consumer told the watchdog it was "completely degrading to women" and implied she was "available to be ogled". "It is situated above a car park which is available to people visiting family restaurants and family entertainment venues therefore is on display for children and other people who are offended by these types of images," the complainant said.
The complaint comes shortly after the Queensland Government launched an inquiry into whether out-of-home advertising is indeed an effective self regulator. The Outdoor Media Association has been heavily involved in the inquiry, arguing against tighter legislation.
After studying the billboard, the ad watchdog, the ASB, ruled it was sexually explicit and degrading to women. It also said that the woman's nipple appeared to be exposed.
While Santa Fe agreed to comply with the ruling, it said it had no intention to offend and that the appearance of nipple was caused by a corruption of the image.
"[We] are now urgently working with its graphic artist to produce a rectification of the image and will submit a revised image to ASB for comment," it said.
What do you think? Should the ad have been banned?
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