Sexy ad ‘ruined business meeting’ in NZ
A billboard of a large-breasted bikini-clad woman has been blamed for ruining a New Zealand business meeting, by distracting staff and clients.
The sexy woman was standing next to a “naked” and natural muesli bar. The phrase next to the image read: “Need something real?”
A businessman named only as J Everett, whose company overlooked the billboard in Auckland, was so upset that he complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
“On Friday we had a very important meeting and both clients were clearly distracted by the content of this billboard and I feel as a result the meeting did not go as well as it could have.”
Male and female staff had complained about the image, the complaint said.
Everett said using a woman with enlarged breasts to draw attention to a muesli bar was distasteful, distracting and offensive.
The advertising agency working for muesli bar manufacturer Nature’s Oven said the billboard did not show unacceptable nudity “as a bikini is acceptable public attire”.
“The advertisement uses a depiction of the stereotypical fake ‘Hollywood blonde’ juxtaposed against the all natural formulation of the naked product.”
The ASA upheld the complaint.
It said that the message promoting real over fake breached the requirement that “people should not be portrayed in a manner which uses sexual appeal simply to draw attention to an unrelated product”.
