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By The Drum Team, Editorial

March 12, 2008 | 2 min read

Hair styling brand ghd has been ordered not to run its 'thy will be done' TV ad campaign, created by TBWA\Manchester, after the ASA received 23 complaints.

The 60-second ad, which was developed by TBWA\Manchester, features the words 'ghd IV - thy will be done', followed by the firm's long-running slogan 'ghd - a new religion for hair'. There are also three shorter versions of the ad, one of which features a woman wearing lingerie, sitting on the edge of the bed saying 'May my new curls make her feel choked with jealousy'. Commenting on its decision, the ASA said: "We concluded that the eroticised images of the women apparently in prayer, in conjunction with religious symbols such as the votive candles and rosary beads, the use for the phrase 'thy will be done' from the Lord's Prayer and the image of the letter 't' as the Cross of Jesus were likely to cause offence, particularly to Christians." The campaign's run has already ended, however, Bradford-based Jemella, the parent company of ghd, has said it did not intend to cause offence and argued that biblical phrases had been used by the brand for seven years as well as in previous advertising campaigns. It is not yet clear how the firm will react to the ruling and whether it will have a baring on its other advertising work. More information on the story is expected shortly.
GHD ASA TBWA Manchester

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