The Advertising Standards Authority made the decision after upholding complaints against two of Ann Summers posters in April, both on grounds of decency. One of these posters, promoting the new Ann Summers store in Banbury, showed a woman in underwear astride a model horse with the strapline "ride a cock hoarse".
The second ad, which garnered 22 complaints from Lancashire, was banned for showing the back of a woman's torso from shoulders to thighs, with her hands handcuffed behind her back. The copy read: "Lancashire hotbot... for fashion and passion whip along to your local store".
Ann Summers chief executive Jacqueline Gold said she was furious with the decision, describing it as censorship.
"Out of principle I am not going to let the ASA prevent us from doing what we want, so I am consulting with my legal team to challenge this ruling. Ann Summers is a responsible high-street retailer and nothing that we do is meant to shock or upset the majority," Gold said.
The ASA has told Ann Summers that all of its poster advertising must now be vetted with the CAP copy team for the next two years, and has alerted poster contractors that the company has this condition placed on its advertising.
A spokesperson for the authority said that advertisers had the right to challenge ASA Council rulings, but added: "They should welcome the advice of the copy team if they're committed to advertising that doesn't shock the public."
It is not the first time that Ann Summers has ended up in a legal battle over its advertising. Last year, the chain had a ban on running recruitment ads in government shop centres, after it was deemed "irrational and unlawful" by the High Court. The ban had stemmed from the centres' policy of not advertising positions relating to the sex industry, and Ann Summers objected, saying that it had been unfairly singled out.
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