Beckham's pants escape advertising ban

A digital poster ad featuring David Beckham in his underwear has been cleared by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after complaints that the images were offensive and irresponsible.

The ad, created in-house, featured three images of Beckham modelling his H&M underwear range.

Three complainants claimed the ad was offensive, while two complaints called it irresponsible and not fit for children to see.

However, H&M claimed that the outdoor sites booked for the campaign were chosen to reach a target audience of 18- to 39-year-olds, and were planned away from schools.

The ASA said that the ads did not show any nudity, nor were they overtly sexual, and dismissed the complaints.

Soho-based chip shop Golden Union spoofed the ads for National Chip Week in February, with an adaptation appearing to show Beckham eating chips in his pants. 

Follow Loulla-Mae Eleftheriou-Smith on Twitter


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