The complaint referred to an ad that appeared in ±±¾©Èü³µpk10 magazine encouraging readers to purchase tickets for the Creative Circle awards ceremony. The ad showed a photo of an unbuttoned dress shirt with stains on the front and captions describing them. A lipstick stain at the bottom of the shirt was captioned "Zoe. Creative Secretary".
The Advertising Standards Authority received a public complaint against the ad on the grounds that it demeaned women, especially those who worked in the ad industry.
The ad industry watchdog upheld the complaint on the grounds of the implication that the secretary had performed oral sex on the person who owned the shirt. They said that the ad was likely to cause offence and told Creative Circle not to repeat the approach.
The Creative Circle said that the ad was meant to encourage people to attend the awards night. Haymarket, publishers of ±±¾©Èü³µpk10 magazine, said that the ad was eye-catching and humorous and would not offend its audience.
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