ASA clears Sure pants ad after paedophilia complaints

LONDON - A series of ads for Sure deodorant has been cleared for use despite 17 complaints, including charges that that one of the ads, featuring a pair of underpants, could encourage paedophilia.

The series of ads, created by Lowe, tried to illustrate how Sure deodorant could help women stop sweating even in the most trying circumstances.

However, all four executions in the campaign drew complaints from the public. One of the posters featured a pair of big, flowery underpants and the line "Aarrgh, I've pulled". Various complaints said that the ad was offensive and unsuitable to be seen by children, and one person even said that it was offensive as a poster in areas with a large Muslim population.

Two other complainants said that they believed the pants belonged to a young girl and therefore the ad could encourage paedophilia.

However, the Advertising Standards Authority has cleared the poster after the advertiser argued that the poster treated "emotional sweat" moments in a humorous way.

It said that it considered that most people would understand and identify with the humour of the ad, and concluded that although some might find it distasteful, it would not cause serious or widespread offence unless placed outside places of worship.

The other ads in the series, including one that showed a text message reading "FNCY A SHG?" above a picture of two pigs copulating. It read "Er... that shouldn't have gone to Dad", were also cleared of complaints.

The campaign was created by Tom Hudson and Lee Goulding at Lowe and illustrated by Francois Berthod. It ran as six-sheet poster executions as well as on escalator, Tube and washroom panels.

  • An ad campaign created by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO for IPC Media's Nuts magazine has been cleared of complaints that it was sexist and offensive from two members of the public.

    The ads used the strapline "Women. Don't expect any help on a Thursday", with one showing a woman on fire while trying to control a barbeque and another showing a woman trapped under a tree.

    The ASA ruled that the cartoon-style ads were likely to be seen as caricatures and not likely to cause offence.

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