Watchdog gives all-clear to deodorant ad that got viewers hot and bothered

An ADVERT for Lynx deodorant in the style of a breaking news bulletin about a worldwide epidemic has been cleared after complaints it was not instantly recognisable as a commercial.

The TV advert for Lynx Attract began with large on-screen text stating “Breaking News” while a “newsreader” said: “News reports just in of an epidemic spreading across the world.”

The newsreader went on to describe a light plane making an emergency landing in Barcelona and escaped animals bringing Berlin to a standstill, while footage showed people in New York wearing gas masks and protective clothing.

The newsreader said: “Scenes in New York show how quickly the epidemic is spreading. Emergency responders say the scale of the chaos may be beyond any sense of control.” Accompanying pictures showed people removing their clothes and kissing.

The advert was cleared with a post-7:30pm restriction.

Ten viewers complained that it was not immediately clear that it was an advert and 19 complained about its sexual content. Another four said it was offensive for making light of serious issues such as aeroplane accidents and epidemics.

Defending the advert, Lynx owner Unilever said it used a “fantastical and humorous tone”.

The Advertising Standards Authority said: “[We] considered that, given the way the material was presented, the ad was unlikely to cause serious offence.”