The Advertising Standards Authority has decided not to ban an advertising campaign for new condom brand SKYN, following complaints that it was offensive and in potential view of children. The ASA received 26 complaints in all about the condom poster campaign from Ansell to promote its new brand that began in March.
One poster was headlined”Love sex. Hate condoms. Love SKYN”, also read; “This changes everything. SKYN condoms are made from a revolutionary new material Polyisoprene, to revolutionise your sex life”.
A second poster also ran bearing the headline “Roll on better sex”. It also included the text; “This changes everything. SKYN condoms are made from a revolutionary new material Polyisoprene, to revolutionise your sex life”.
Solicitors representing Ansell said that the company was aware and sensitive the issues which sexual wellness raised, and added that it was not looking to align itself with overly controversial advertising practices to sell its products. However, the company also said that it believed that there would be people offended by the mention of condoms and contraception, but that this was ‘significantly outweighed’ by the beneifts to society of reducing unwanted pregnancy and reducing sexually transmitted diseases. Therefore such products needed to be mass-marketed to reach the maximum number of people.
It was also stated that neither advert was placed within 100m of a school or near any churches.
The ASA said that the adverts did not contain sexually explicit images and that the overall tone was not provocative. The prominent use of the word ‘sex’ alongside an image a woman wearing only underwear was considered acceptable to promote condoms on a poster and accepted that a placement restriction has been place on the adverts.
As a result, it was ruled that no further action was required.
I’m sorry I didn’t come across this article sooner.
I did indeed find one particular ad for this campaign offensive but it was an ad I had observed the year before, on a Toronto subway station wall. I even wrote a Spoken Word poem about it that’s how much of a reaction it provoked in. This is of course part of their marketing strategy: produce emough of a reaction in the individuals that encourages them to purchase the product for reasons beyond the common sense ones.
The ad I saw depicted a naked woman’s body from just below the breast to just beyond the curve of her hip in side profile, with the words “Just Skyn” written and the box of condoms beside the body.
I found this to me irresponsible in such a public place where young children of all ages are able to view it, especially considering so many double meanings that can be gathered from it.
That’s my two cents.
Alicia,
Thanks for your ‘two cents’ Appreciated
Will