‘Overtly sexual’ ad for cafe in Brighton & Hove Independent newspaper gets ban
The Brighton branch of Catsteps Cafes-owned The Breakfast Club has received a ban from the ASA for a festive ad that was deemed ‘irresponsible’.
The ad, which depicted a snowman with a carrot placed suggestively and two reindeers that ‘appeared to be mating’, was placed in the Brighton & Hove Independent.
The complaint, which deemed the ad innapropriate and badly targeted, came from a parent whose five year old saw the ad. The comlplaint was upheld and was deemed inappropriate due to the free and wide distribution of the title.
The cafe responded to the ASA: “as a family run business they had not intended to offend consumers. They said the ad was ‘tongue in cheek’ which poked fun at generic Christmas advertising. They said that they appreciated that some may have interpreted their humour to be distasteful.”
The ASA ruled that the ad must not appear again in its current form but it ‘welcomed Brighton & Hove Independent’s assurance that they would not print similar ads in future’.