The ad, created by Mother for Boots Expert nipple cream, appeared in Best, Chat, OK, Mother & Baby magazine, and as a radio ad.
The magazine ad features a sketch of a woman holding her baby at arm's length with a grimace on her face, with text stating: "Look at you with your cute little nose … And cute little fingers … And cute little everything really.
"Well except that strong sucking action of yours on my sore nipples. It's not how it's MEANT to be. The mothers in the breastfeeding pamphlets are always smiling serenely not grimacing in pain."
The Advertising Standards Authority received 19 complaints from the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers (ABM), the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) and 17 members of the public.
Complainants said the ad implied that the cream alone could resolve the problem of sore nipples, without addressing the importance of correct feeding techniques.
ABM, NCT and 11 members of the public believed that the ads were irresponsible because they might discourage new mothers from seeking professional guidance, while the ABM and seven members of the public believed the ads were irresponsible because they might discourage new mothers from breastfeeding.
ABM and 16 members of the public believed that the ads were offensive because they presented an unfair and negative image of breastfeeding.
The Boots Company explained that the ads were examples from a campaign featuring different products in the Boots Expert range. It said that the ads were designed to convey the message that Boots had a number of products to help with life's small problems.
Boots said that the ads looked at a problem, commonly experienced by breastfeeding mothers, in a light-hearted and humorous way. It accepted that one of the main causes of sore and cracked nipples was the incorrect latching of the baby to the breast, but said the continual wetting and drying of the skin could also cause dryness, soreness and eventual cracking.
Boots added that it would not use the ads again and said, if it decided to advertise the nipple cream in future, it would take on board the concerns expressed by complainants.
The ASA did not uphold any of the complaints. It considered that the ads targeted breastfeeding mothers and that the audience was likely to be reasonably well informed about breastfeeding techniques and the causes of sore nipples, through attendance of antenatal classes or through reading antenatal literature.