Too hot
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld complaints that an advert for pop diva Beyoncé’s new perfume, Heat, was considered too steamy for daytime TV.
The Christian Institute was one of the groups that voiced concern over sexually explicit advertising after the advert was pulled back until after 7.30pm for being ‘sexually provocative’ and therefore ‘unsuitable to be seen by young children’, the ASA said.
In the advert, Beyoncé was shown dancing seductively in a revealing dress and making provocative gestures. It upheld complaints from several viewers, who were unhappy that the advert had been broadcast during the middle of the day around family programmes, despite being given an ex-kids restriction by Clearcast, the body that vets TV adverts.
Mike Judge, spokesperson for the Christian Institute, said, ‘As Christmas approaches we are bombarded by inappropriate perfume adverts on TV, the high street and in our shopping centres. These ads only contribute to society’s sexualisation, against which more and more people are speaking out.
‘Sexualisation damages all in society but in particular it puts pressure on young girls and women to conform to a “perfect” body image. The ASA took action against this advert after 14 people made complaints, which shows it only takes a handful of people to say something is inappropriate, and it can make a real difference’.
