The following ads were all given the green light by the Advertising Standards Board. Collective Shout is calling for an advertising industry overhaul. Sign the petition here. 

Overall the Board considered that posters 1, 4 and 5 on their own did not treat the issue of sex, sexuality and nudity with sensitivity to the relevant audience and that although posters 2, 3 and 6 did treat the issue of sex, sexuality and nudity with sensitivity to the relevant audience, their use in conjunction with posters 1, 4 and 5 gives these posters a more sexualised tone and therefore all 6 posters, when displayed together, did not treat the issue of sex, sexuality and nudity with sensitivity to the relevant audience.

The Board determined that the advertisement when viewed as a whole did breach Section 2.4 of the Code and that images used in posters 1, 4 and 5 in an outdoor placement did breach Section 2.4 of the Code. Finding that the advertisement did breach Section 2.4 of the Code, the Board upheld the complaints. 

Collective Shout call for financial penalties for repeat offenders

Honey Birdette are no stranger to the Advertising Standards Board. The sex shop which masquerades as a high end lingerie store in major shopping centres across Australia have repeatedly breached the advertising codes showing little regard for the self regulated system currently operating in Australia. 

We've been writing about Honey Birdette's porn themed advertising since 2011. 

Originally published on The Conversation

Advertising and sex are two of the oldest professions in the world. Indeed, one of the earliest uses of advertising was to advertise sexual services; prostitutes in Ancient Greece carved ads into the soles of their sandals so that their footprints read: “Follow me”.

Sex and sexism, however, are different things. One is fun and most people do it at some time in their lives; the other is offensive and should never be done at all. But if recent events – from Eddie McGuire to Steve Price – are any indication, it seems sexism, like porn, is something you only know when you see it.

If you need to know how this plays out in advertising, the award-winning Game of Balls ad is sex-in-advertising. The Ultratune ads are sexism in advertising, as is the campaign using pre-teen models in sexualised poses to advertise dancewear.