[*Updated*] Repeat offender untouchable under ad industry self regulation

Honey Birdette has rolled out a new porny ad campaign - before the self-regulated industry “watchdog” Ad Standards has even finished ruling on ads from its last campaign. In this latest show of ad industry self-regulation failure, the sex store’s upskirting and tennis-themed ads were bumped to make way for a new objectifying and porn-inspired casino-themed campaign - timed ahead of the opening of its new Las Vegas store - dubbed ‘Lucky Number’. 

Sex shop given free rein to broadcast sexist and demeaning portrayals of female athletes

So-called ‘Male Champions of Change’ shopping centre CEOs facilitating objectification of women in sport while claiming to ‘stamp out sexism’

Despite broadcasting objectifying and pornified representations of women, reinforcing sexist and harmful stereotypes about women and sexuality, and accusations of bullying and harassing young female staff, sex store Honey Birdette’s go-to refrain is that they are “empowering women”.

This claim is at odds with reality. Read on as we unpack the various ways that Honey Birdette disempowers women and girls. 

Another Ad Standards fail

One man, five days and actually caring about the community has achieved what Ad Standards, a comprehensive advertising Code of Ethics (and accompanying Practice Note), a 22-member panel and a weeks-long review process could not: takedown of a sexist, objectifying advertisement from Perth’s public buses.

“Violence against women isn’t an anomaly; it is the natural manifestation of a culture in which women are regarded as inferior to men, as objects of sexual recreation and entertainment.”

This blog was originally published on Melinda Tankard Reist's blog on May 3rd 2010.