Tom Ford's "Fucking Fabulous" fragrance range has been found in breach of advertising standards following a complaint about in-store displays at David Jones.
The Advertising Standards Panel found that the brand's signage, which features the product name in full, without an attempt to soften the language, was inappropriate for a general retail environment.
The complaint was lodged by a customer who said while the language wasn’t unheard of on building sites, it was not fit for retail where it could be seen by families and children.
Tom Ford defended its branding and said that it is "deliberately provocative and surprising" and defended the language used - that it is consistent with Australian vernacular.
It also said that because the signage is only available at limited retail counters in makeup sections of stores carrying the brand, it is appropriate for their target market.
The panel said its decision relates to the advertising and has no bearing on the product name itself.
The panel found that David Jones shoppers represent diverse groups of the community, and not all would be comfortable being confronted with explicit language.
The display was found to violate the AANA (Australian Association of National Advertisers) Code of Ethics Section 2.5, which prohibits strong or obscene language and requires advertising language to be appropriate for the circumstances.
The Panel said that unlike a previous case involving Tom Ford's social media where viewers actively chose to follow the brand, in-store displays confront all passers-by regardless of their comfort level with such language.
The brand has been directed to modify the advertising.
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