'Equal ops' ad got a bum rap so we had another cheeky go

Published on 19/07/2011 18:26

IT was the sort of bare-faced cheek that led to a dressing down from the country's advertising standards watchdog.

ROW: The firm's previous cheeky poster

But an Edinburgh firm which saw one of its naughty poster campaigns banned, is now set to cause further controversy by revealing an even more racy image.

Scrap metal firm Dalton Metal Recycling had been told by Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to stop using an advert showing a woman's bottom.

The advertising watchdog said the poster - which showed the model wearing a pair of braces and low-slung jeans to cover her modesty - was "demeaning" to women.

It is the second time the firm has been told off for using such an image after a complaint was upheld last year about a picture of a woman's bottom and legs which was used on the side of its lorries.

But the firm is now set to reveal an even more provocative picture as part of its campaign to promote its recycling facilities.

Following complaints from the public about the original advert, the watchdog said: "The ASA considered that the image was not sexually explicit but that it was sexually provocative.

"We noted that the ad was for a scrap metal recycling company and that the image bore no relevance to the advertised service."

The ruling added: "We considered that the provocative image, and in particular the focus on the woman's bottom, was seen as gratuitous and demeaning to women.

"Because of that, and because the image appeared in an untargeted medium and bore no relevance to the advertised service, we concluded that it was likely to cause serious offence to some individuals."

Three members of the public complained about the poster which was seen on the side of one of the firm's lorries on April 14.

Dalton, which shreds 300 tonnes of metal a day at plants in Broxburn and Leith, said the ad had been on display for 12 months without complaints.

It said the ad, which features the woman kneeling on the floor with her back to the camera, was of a plumber cleaning a copper pipe.

But the image shows the model in low-slung jeans that exposed the top of her bottom and her midriff covered by a pair of braces.

The company accepted a "small" number of people had found the ad sexist but said advertisements could be distasteful without breaching advertising rules.

Responding to the ASA, it said underwear adverts feature "far more revealing" images and it did not believe the advert caused widespread offence.

But the ASA said the ad breached strict rules and should not reappear.

The company's Colin Grieve said: "We are bewildered that the ASA has upheld a complaint as we are trying to promote equal opportunities between the sexes.

The picture in question is of a plumber cleaning copper to sell to Dalton Metal Recycling."