Lingerie brand Honey Birdette has been pinged again by Ad Standards for exposed nipples.
And this time the lingerie brand hasn't provided a response to three of its posters breaching advertising standards.
An Ad Standards spokesperson told AdNews: “The vast majority of Australian advertisers comply with Ad Standards Community Panel determinations and if found to breach the rules, they promptly remove or modify the ad.
“This [non-compliance] statement appears in case reports where the advertiser has not provided a response to the determination.
“For instances of non-compliance Ad Standards works with the relevant authorities, which in most cases is the media owners or platforms. In the case of shop front posters, it is shopping centres.”
Each poster image features a woman wearing nipple pasties and other accessories such as “a harness with stirrups”, “a chain over her shoulder connected to a strap in her hand” and “a leather bit in her mouth”. One poster has the words "Fashion Fetish" superimposed.
Complaints made to Ad Standards include:
“It is completely inappropriate for children to be subjected to such sexualisation and pornographic content while shopping in a family friendly environment. The advert is highly suggestive and I found it appalling. No one would be allowed to walk through the shopping centre exposed like this so it should not be allowed to be displayed and I’m sure it is a breech. It is located right next to a kids clothing store and in a main walkway. We should not be subjected to such inappropriate and highly offensive material and encourage the extreme sexualisation or women and on full display of young children and families. “
“I’m very liberal but this is clearly R rated and pornographic. A little 6 year old girl was staring at the image. It’s completely inappropriate to have this publicly in shopping centres. There advertising is bad at the best of times, but this has got to be illegal. It goes against all standards of decency and it’s offensive to have this pushed on us as you walk by a store.”
In response Honey Birdette stands by its ad:
“Per your standards, it is reasonable to depict attractive models in costumes associated with brands or products being sold when they are portrayed in a positive light. We believe we have upheld this standard in our ads,” Honey Birdette spokesperson said.
However, The Panel found that all three images did feature overtly sexual imagery and the sexualised imagery which is not appropriate for display in a shop front window.
The Panel also found that the advertisement did employ sexual appeal in a manner which is exploitative and degrading of an individual or group of people.
As a result, the posters from were found to breach AANA Code of Ethics\2.2 Exploitative or Degrading and 2.4 Sex/sexuality/nudity.
However, Honey Birdette did not provide a response to the Panel's determination, meaning the breached ad is still live.
Ad Standards will continue to work with the shopping centres where the advertisements are live regarding this issue of non-compliance by the advertiser.
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