The ad, which ran in listings magazine Time Out, pictures a woman in a see-through negligee leaning into the corner of a room. Her breasts are visible and the naked torso of a man, who seemed to be on top of a second woman, was pictured between the first woman's legs.
The Advertising Standards Authorithy concluded that the advert was likely to cause serious or widespread offence.
Amp Associates was the creative team behind the advert.
The Ministry of Sound said it intended to push the boundaries laid down by regulatory organisations and that the editorial images in the magazine were sometimes hard-hitting and received little criticism.
It also said the ad formed part of a series and said that it did not intend to stop the campaign, having received only one complaint. Time Out argued that the ad appeared in the 'Clubs' section of the magazine.
The publishers pointed out that Time Out was a paid for magazine for adults with 99% of their readers being over 18. The ASA was concerned by the advertiser's apparent disregard for the codes and told them not to repeat the approach.
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