Berlei faces wider ad ban following Facebook and Instagram disapproval

Lindsay Bennett
By Lindsay Bennett | 8 September 2017
 

After being rejected from Facebook and Instagram, the latest ad from Berlei could also be banned from TV.

The Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) tells AdNews it has received several complaints about the Berlei ad, which means it will have to undergo a review that could lead to an ad being upheld.

The ad shows women struggling with bra-fails, including squeezing themselves into uncomfortable bras, dancing in nipple tassels and ripping off duct tape.

These complaints will be dealt with through the complaint process, which considers if an ad has breached the ASB code. After the ad and the complaints are assessed, a determination will be made to either uphold or dismiss the case.

Commenting on the ad shared on Facebook, two users have already called out the ad for being "inappropriately" aired during Seven's Home and Away.

Berlei marketer Zoe Hayes says: “We’re yet to hear the nature of the complaints. In terms of immediate feedback direct to us from consumers, the response has been overwhelmingly positive so far on the relatability, humour, creativity and diversity of the ad. Plus women are extremely relieved there is a new, kinder bra option out there for them.”

The ruling from Facebook, the owner of Instagram, allows Berlei to still host the ad on its own channel but it can not promote it through its advertising platform.

Facebook initially made the decision to ban the Berlei ad on the grounds it is "potentially offensive".

The ad was also temporarily banned on YouTube before being reinstated.

Berlei has said Facebook will not allow the ad on its social media platforms because of "the pixelated nudity, overt focus on bouncing breasts and overly zoomed images”. The company appealed the ruling from Facebook unsuccessfully.

The campaign is the first since Berlei appointed creative agency The Monkeys.

Previous ads from lingerie brand Honey Birdette have been banned by the ad watchdog after receiving multiple complaints for being “overly sexualised”, including one poster that featured a gagged santa.

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