Tag Archives: banned ads

YSL Ad Banned For Simulating Drug Use

Amelia McDonell-ParryFebruary 2, 2011 //


A commercial for Yves Saint Laurent’s Belle D’Opium fragrance has been banned in the U.K. because the ad supposedly shows models “simulating drug use.” The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) “therefore concluded it was irresponsible and unacceptable for broadcast.” In the ad (above), the character of “Belle” runs her finger down her arm and the ASA concluded that action “could be seen to simulate the injection of opiates into the body.” The ASA also felt that Belle’s movements later in the ad, including one in which “her body [seizes] upwards while lying on the floor,” could be viewed as “simulating the effect of drugs on the body.” Personally, I just think she’s dancing like nobody’s watching. Kind of hilariously, the Daily Mail U.K. notes that the ad has already been viewed by 44 million people and that a whopping 96 percent of French women (specifically!) didn’t think there was anything inappropriate about the commercial. So what do you think? Do you side with the crusty old ASA or those hip French ladies? [Huffington Post] Keep reading »

Beyonce Ad Is Banned In The U.K.

SimchaNovember 18, 2010 //


Beyonce’s new perfume “Heat” is actually getting some serious heat from the British Advertising Standards Authority. Apparently, the commercial inspired 14 viewers to send in mail basically sayin’, “Mah baby saw Beyonce doing a sexy pants dance and now s/he is dry humpin’ walls too!” So, this ad can now only be aired in the U.K. after the child-proof hour of 7:30 p.m. Oddly enough, the ad has run here in the States for almost a year without a peep. Beyonce has got this country on lock down! Great Britain, not so much. Well, hopefully this means she’s going to cover 2 Live Crew’s “Banned In The U.S.A,” except make it U.K. That would be rad-unkulous! [Celeb Jihad via OMG Blog]
Keep reading »

Clean & Clear Ad Banned For Using Makeup In “After” Photo

Wendy AtterberryJanuary 7, 2010 //


I had to laugh when I read about a recent ad for Johnson & Johnson’s Clean and Clear Spot Control Kit getting pulled from British television recently. When consumers complained that their skin didn’t look the actress’s in the commercial, Johnson & Johnson admitted that, get this, the actress was wearing makeup in the “after” photo!! I know, shocking, right? The U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority pulled the ad and released this statement:

“We considered that, in order to make the before and after comparison fair, both shots should have been taken under the same conditions (both without makeup) to ensure that any visible improvement was an accurate representation of what could be achieved with the product.”

What I’m wondering is: do these people (the consumers and the ADA) seriously believe skin care companies don’t normally use makeup on models to give the illusion of clearer skin (or, in the case of “before” pictures, bad skin)?! I think that’s the real crime here. [via Huffington Post and The Guardian] Keep reading »

American Apparel Ad Banned For Looking Too Much Like Child Porn

Amelia McDonell-ParrySeptember 2, 2009 //

The model in these photos is actually 23, but her youthful gaze (what so many women aspire for, apparently!) has gotten another American Apparel ad banned by the UK Advertising Standards Authority. That ad (see it here) originally appeared in Vice magazine and caught the watchdog group’s eye because, apparently, it “sexualise[s] a model who appeared to be a child under the age of 16.” The fact that she’s not doesn’t matter, I guess. I wonder if they still went out and bought some leggings though… [Marketing Week, Gawker] Keep reading »

The Daily Squeeze: Paula’s Bod, Banned Haircare Ads, And More Sleep

Catherine StrawnMarch 12, 2008 //
  • Paula Abdul might never have another decent single, but her body continues to be a hit, even among her younger fans (who probably have never heard “Forever Your Girl.”) “Most people say I look better than I ever have,” Paula said. “It feels good when I see young boys staring at me, saying, ‘I wish my mom looked that hot!’” [Fox6.com]
  • Ads for British hair-care brand GHD IV have been banned after an advertising watchdog group found them offensive to Christians. The ads feature women dressed in lingerie praying or clasping rosary beads, along with the slogans, “GHD IV Thy Will Be Done” and “GHD. A New Religion For Hair.” [Reuters]
  • We’re not as sleep deprived as we were a few years ago, according to an analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau for the Department of Labor Statistics. Americans got an average of 8.5 hours per night in 2005, compared with eight hours in 2000. The biggest increase was on Saturday nights, most likely because we fall asleep halfway through SNL instead of watching the whole show. [Washington Post]

    • Keep reading »