Last week we exposed a new porn-themed ad campaign by Boost Juice. The “Nothing but Passion” campaign plays on common porn tropes, depicting pixelated images of fruit accompanied with a “censored” label, and a pair of lips dripping with juice, suggestive of semen.
Boost has since responded, sharing a non-apology to Collective Shout supporters who objected to the ad campaign:
Thank you for contacting Boost Juice Customer Support and we apologise for any offense caused. Whilst our brand has always had a cheeky tone, this campaign and its content was created to add fun around highlighting a new fruit we’re passionate about – passionfruit.
Please be assured that the wellbeing of our customers and team members remain our highest priority, and your feedback has been taken seriously, and has been shared with our marketing team for their consideration for any future projects and campaigns.
But without immediate action to remove the porn-inspired promo material, we’re not buying their claims that their customers’ and team members’ wellbeing is their “highest priority” or that they take feedback “very seriously”.
The issue of sexist or porn-inspired advertising is not about offence, it's about demonstrable harm.
There’s nothing “cheeky” about sexist and pornified advertising
Boost Juice joins a long line of corporate offenders who, when called out for relying on sexist, objectifying and porn-themed tropes to promote their products, defend their marketing as “cheeky”, “light-hearted” or “tongue-in-cheek”.
Lynx Rules of Rugby ad depicted young women in underpants and midriff tops running in slow motion, with the camera panning up and down their bodies and long, lingering shots on their breasts and backsides. Lynx defended the sexist ad as “fun, tongue in cheek, playful”.
German-themed Sydney restaurant Lowenbrau Keller defended its sexually objectifying ad campaigns – using its waitresses breasts to promote the restaurant – claiming the sexist ads were “a fun play on words”.
Mossimo created a sex industry-themed Peepshow ad campaign, including an app for Facebook users as young as 16 to upload sexy photos of themselves to win a prize. Mossimo marketing manager Leanne Wall told the Herald Sun the campaign was "just fun and light-hearted".
Brushbox, a toothbrush company, defended their “spit or swallow” marketing campaign, featuring a suggestive image of a woman’s mouth drooling a white substance resembling semen, as “tongue in cheek”.
After a group of teen girls reached out to Frank Body over its ‘Send Nudes’ cosmetic which normalised the sexual harassment and pressure for naked selfies, the skincare and makeup company dismissed complaints and defended the product as “cheeky and playful”. Read more about Frank Body sexual objectification of women.
After Sydney pub Petersham Inn was exposed for its sexist “Hot Girls Eat Free” ad campaign, the licensee told news.com.au it was “light-hearted and tongue-in-cheek”.
But sexist, objectifying and porn-inspired advertising is not “cheeky”, “light-hearted” or a bit of “fun”. It is at the expense of women’s dignity.
Boost’s use of porn-inspired advertising, like ejaculation emojis or graphics referencing fellatio, also puts their young female staff at risk of sexual harassment. Boost, they deserve better.
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