A Jack Wills ad showing various male and female models drinking in their underwear and posing on a bed has been banned by the ad regulator for being overtly sexualised and “inappropriate” for younger teenagers.
Catalogue mailout banned for featuring ‘inappropriate’ images of models drinking and on a bed
The ad, which was included in the brand’s 2016 spring catalogue, featured various images of male and female models in their underwear drinking, dancing and on a bed together.
The text at the top stated “Underwear… [sic] pure and comfortable cottons, or flirty delicate laces, whatever your choice, you can be sure it’s what’s underneath that counts”. The large text at the bottom stated “midnight mischief”.
Another page, promoting loungewear, featured images of male and female models on a bed. While some of the models wore loungewear, one male model was topless on a bed with a woman while reading and another woman wore a bra with a strap falling off her shoulder. Alongside the images, text stated: “A favourite tee and your boxers, or a lounge short and bra; this is loungewear made for the morning after the night before.”
A complainant argued the images were unsuitable for publication in a clothing catalogue that was targeted at, and seen by, teenagers.
Jack Wills’ response
Jack Wills argued its brand was targeted at 18 to 24-year-old university students and not at younger teenagers. It also said the images were not sexualised, provocative and did not imply sexual activity in any way, with no nudity and none of the garments worn by the models being transparent. It also did not believe the text alongside the pictures to be overly sexual or encouraging underage sexual activity.
In future, the high street retailer said it would make it clear that consumers were required to be over the age of 18 to receive any communications by printing “Please note: You need to be over 18 years old to sign up for Jack Wills’ correspondence” on the opaque envelope its printed catalogue was distributed in.
The ruling
While the ASA noted the catalogue featured images of a group of older teenagers on a weekend away, younger teens might have access to the ad either directly or indirectly, and that the images were “likely to appeal” to those readers because they portrayed a lifestyle to which they might aspire.