A “sexualised” ad from the Queensland Theatre Company featuring a male and female in an embrace has been barred by the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) for suggesting paedophilia.
The print campaign, created by Brisbane agency BCM, features a young looking female and a male lying on their side. The female is looking at the camera, while the shirtless male has his arm wrapped around the female.
The ad promotes the play Romeo and Juliet.
The ASB has ruled the ad depicts a female teenager in a sexualised pose. The actual model, Melanie Zanetti, is 26 years old, however the ASB said she only looks like a teenager in the ad.
One of the complainst made against the ad said: “It actually made me feel ill … The photo is suggestive of paedophilia. I found it shocking.”
The ASB said: “The Board considered that the advertisement uses a model who appears to be very young in a manner which is suggestive of sexual activity with a man and that there is not an obvious link to a play about young love.”
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