 The
advertising watchdog has cleared a Setanta TV ad campaign featuring Des
Lynam which received 36 complaints that it degraded women by referring
to breasts as puppies.
Setanta's Setanta Claus ad featured Lynam dressed in a yellow
Santa suit in a grotto, while his scantily clad helper "Tinseltoes" -
Big Brother's Thaila Zucchi - flashed her cleavage.
This prompted a male visitor to the grotto to grin, stare and
absentmindedly mention a "couple of puppies".
The Advertising Standards Authority received 36 complaints that the ad
was offensive as it objectified and degraded women and was sexist. Nine
of the complainants also argued that the Santa theme would be of
interest to children and that such an ad should not be broadcast before
9pm.
The ASA noted that some viewers might see the portrayal of Zucchi with
her cleavage on display as objectifying women and that the reference
Give him what he wants this Christmas could be seen by some as
treating women as sex objects. However, it decided that most viewers
would see it as mild sexual innuendo that was unlikely to provoke
serious or widespread offence.
The ASA also rejected the nine complaints that the ad was unsuitable for
children and should not be shown before 9pm. It concluded that the ad,
which aired with a restriction not to be shown around programmes
targeted at children, had enough differences from a real Christmas scene
- such as Lynam dressed in Setanta yellow - that children would know the
difference.
The ASA also said children would not understand the double entendre
messages in the ad and take them at face value. Setanta's ad was
cleared by the ASA.
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