LONDON -- A woman walking around her apartment wearing nothing but her underwear is not how a new smartphone should be advertised, according to a new ruling by Britain's Advertising Standards Agency.
The ASA pulled the TV ad for Kazam's new Tornado 348 phone, saying it was sexually suggestive and breached the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising. Eight people made formal complaints to the ASA, saying the content had nothing to do with the product being advertised.
"The ASA noted that much of the ad focused entirely on the actor in her underwear, including scenes that featured several close-up shots that lingered over her breasts, buttocks and lips, which we considered were sexually suggestive," the ASA said in its ruling. "Additionally, this was heightened by the suggestive nature of the music and voice-over and further reinforced because the focus on the woman bore no relevance to the advertised product."
The mobile phone company defended its ad, saying the idea was "tongue in cheek" and that the company did not show the ad during programmes with a younger viewership.
Kazam cannot rebroadcast the ad in its current form, and it was warned that it should not cause offence in future ads by objectifying women. The ad is still available on Kazam's YouTube channel.