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Lastminute slammed by watchdog over smutty ads
Sony's Resident Evil doesn't promote violence though...

By Jo Best

Published: Thursday 20 January 2005

Watchdog the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) has rapped Lastminute.com over the knuckles after receiving complaints that its ads were too saucy.

The ASA received complaints from several members of the public across the country about the online travel agent's print advertising.

The material that got Joe Public hot under the collar included a poster featuring the slogan "Go where the sun does shine", which showed the bottom half of a woman in bikini shorts. Another had the tagline "forget sandcastles, play in the dunes" with a photo of another bikini-clad woman's breasts.

The complaints objected to the posters on the grounds they were offensive, demeaning to women and would distract motorists. Others complained that the choice of siting - in an area with a large Muslim population, near a mosque - was inappropriate.

The regulator ruled that the ads weren't necessarily offensive. "The Authority concluded that the poster was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence, be regarded as demeaning to women or unsuitable for children or distract motorists... Although it recognised the poster would cause offence to Muslims when placed outside a mosque, the Authority considered that merely placing the poster near a place of worship did not automatically mean that it would cause serious or widespread offence," the ASA said in its adjudication.

The adjudication continued: "Nevertheless, the Authority was concerned by the advertisers' lack of response and apparent disregard for the Code," resulting in the complaints being upheld.

Tech giant Sony was also in the firing line after ads for its ads promoting Resident Evil: Outbreak, which featured an "androgynous woman" with gashes on her face. It had provoked complaints from the public claiming it promoted violence, particularly against women.

The ASA ruled that wasn't the case, adding the ad was a spoof of a fashion shoot - the ad's slogan was 'designer goreture' - and that the model featured was, in fact, a man.