While we're #CountingDeadWomen Honey Birdette is counting their cash

Honey Birdette, the sex shop masquerading as a high-end lingerie store has a long history of using pornographic images of women in their shop front advertising. And they've been getting away with it- for years.

*Update: Westfield and Vicinity Centres have directed Honey Birdette to pull down its highly sexualised signage

Despite Advertising Standards Board rulings that their highly sexualised ads are in breach of codes and standards, Honey Birdette refuses to comply with rulings, even going so far as to post on their Facebook page, "Nobody tells Honey B's when to take down her signage!"

Clearly, ad industry self-regulation isn't working.

So it comes as no great surprise that the serial sexploitation offenders have rolled out this as their new ad campaign in shopping centres around the country:

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Honey Birdette have once again completely disregarded the rights of children to inhabit public space free from pornographic imagery, and the rights of women to be regarded as anything more than sexual playthings for men’s enjoyment.

Despite an increased community awareness of the scourge of men’s violence against women and the relationship between the objectification of women and violence against them, companies like Honey Birdette continue to put profits before the respect, dignity and wellbeing of women.

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As Jean Kilbourne said in Killing Us Softly 4, “Objectifying women creates a climate where there is widespread violence against women. Turning a human being into a ‘thing’ is almost always the first step toward justifying violence against that person.”

While anti-violence organisations are counting dead women killed by domestic violence each week, Honey Birdette are counting their money. Enough is enough.

TAKE ACTION

Contact Centre Management at your local shopping centre and make a complaint. Complete list of centres with Honey Birdette stores here.

Make a complaint to the Advertising Standards Board

Sign this petition

outdoor advertising advertising sex shops advertising standards board Advertising Standards Bureau sex industry asb Honey Birdette ASB Fails sex shop Westfield Vicinity mainstreaming of pornography

Add your comment

Showing 4 reactions

Saskia Capon commented 2016-05-19 15:36:30 +1000
I spoke to Centre Management at Westfield Tea Tree Plaza who told me that they would pass my complaint and contact information to Honey Birdette and to the Westfield senior management but that really unless the ASB contacts them or they are receiving 20-30 complaints per day about something, there is not much they will/can do. I am so disappointed that no one there has the moral fortitude to make a proactive determination based on the ASB and tell HB their advertising does not suit the family environment Westfield is designed to be. Rather than me having to justify how this picture is insensitive to the audience, I would expect that HB should be scrambling to justify why they believe it is sensitive and meets the ASB standard (as if it could Ever be justified!). If anyone else is able to add their complaint to my own, I would appreciate the support of additional voices of reason.
Saskia Capon commented 2016-05-17 16:38:06 +1000
This advertising is still up at Westfield Tea Tree Plaza. Just sent a complaint to Centre Management and signed the petition via the link above. So disgusted!!
Irene Scortis commented 2016-05-06 12:44:03 +1000
I have worked on store design at Westfield’s around Australia and Westfield centres which are owned and operated by Scentre Group DO approve and check content on all graphic visuals at the store design stage. I am not sure if they continue to approve new graphics when a store is established but this does not mean they do not have any control over content or the retailer at all times – this is just not true!
Felecia Hick commented 2016-05-03 21:58:07 +1000
I was so disgusted to see the same image at my shopping centre on Sunday. I rang the Westfield Westlakes Management Centre to complain and they mentioned that many people had complained already. They put the blame back on Honey Birdette and told me to ring the store’s complaints number. What I would like to know and I explained it to management that surely Westfield is accountable for this too as Westfield is taking rent from the shop?? Also would this image be violating the rights of children?? I would imagine so.