LIAISING COMPLAINT DETERMINATION CONSOLIDATING
ACCOUNTABILITY COMMUNITY EDUCATING SELF-REGULATE
MERGING COMMUNICATING SOCIAL MEDIA
TELEVISION COOPERATING ACCOUNTABILITY
STANDARDS ADVERTISERS BILLBOARDS
Discrimination against women
Complaints concerning discrimination against women generally attract high complaint numbers . Imagery of women presented in a sexualised manner can be considered under Sections 2.1 , 2.2 and 2.4 of the Code depending on the content of the advertisement and nature of the complaint .
The Board upheld a number of complaints about advertisements for discrimination or vilification of women , and was of the view that :
• Advertising that suggests men should
TRANSPORT
AUTHORITY POSTERS outsource their sexual relationships with their wives to other women amounts to discrimination against wives .
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A television advertisement which featured men singing ‘ I ’ m looking for someone other than my wife ’ ( Ashley Madison - Avid Life – 0036 / 15 and 0071 / 15 ).
• Advertising which compares a women to animals , and suggests that they should be treated like one amounts to discrimination against women .
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A print advertisement which featured the text ‘ Treat a woman like a racehorse and she ’ ll never be a nag ’ ( Quilly Park – 0063 / 15 ).
The Board was of the view that a number of advertisements did not constitute discrimination or vilification of women , determining :
• The amount or type of clothing a woman is wearing in an advertisement often causes concern in the community , however when that clothing is related to the product being sold this depiction does not amount to discrimination or vilification so long as the women are not depicted in an overly sexualised manner .
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A television advertisement for boat trailers which used a close-up of a woman in a bikini to attract attention to the advertisement ( Barracuda Boat Trailers – 0022 / 15 ).
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Advertisements for underwear or fashion which depict models in the clothes being sold include : Pacific Brands Holdings Pty Ltd ( 0002 / 15 , 0177 / 15 , 0271 / 15 and
BILLBOARDS PARTNERING
INDEPENDENT
SELF-REGULATE
BONDING
DETERMINATION TRANSPORT
RADIO EDUCATING
BUSINESS GOVERNMENT
0373 / 15 ), Seafolly Pty Ltd ( 0209 / 15 ),
Lonsdale London ( 0256 / 15 ), Woolworths Supermarkets ( 0329 / 15 ) and David Jones Ltd ( 0402 / 15 ).
• Advertisers are free to use whomever they choose in an advertisement , and that choosing to use attractive women is not discriminatory towards women .
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Advertisements where attractive women were used to draw attention to the product being sold include : Hyundai Motor Company Australia Pty Ltd ( 0326 / 15 ), Urban Purveyor Group ( 0360 / 15 ), Virtual Scaffolding ( 0399 / 15 ), Edgewell ( 0401 / 15 and 0416 / 15 ), Breitling Oceania Pty Ltd ( 0434 / 15 ) and Vitaco Health Australia Pty Ltd ( 0441 / 15 ).
• Advertisements which show men admiring women do not amount to discrimination of women when the men ’ s actions are depicted as appreciative rather than threatening and the women react positively to the attention .
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Advertisements which showed men looking at , or commenting on the attractiveness of women include : Coca‐Cola South Pacific ( 0296 / 15 ), Cosmetic Elegance ( 0321 / 15 ), Urban Purveyor Group ( 0359 / 15 ) and Rejuvenate Wellness Centre Rockhampton ( 0378 / 15 ).
• Advertising which features the phrase ‘ designer vagina ’ does not demean women and does not suggest that all women need or should need a ‘ designer vagina ’.
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A print advertisement which featured the text , ‘ Why is everyone talking about the Designer Vagina ?’ ( SKYN – 0018 / 15 ).
• The use of the phrase ‘ going down ’ in relation to someone ’ s wife , in a light-hearted and flippant joke in the context of a much longer advertisement was not seen to be demeaning or discriminatory to women or men .
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An internet advertisement which featured office workers behaving as though they are at the cricket , including a scene which featured a man giving a presentation and stating that performance is going down , with another man calling out , ‘ So is your wife !’ ( Sportsbet – 0119 / 15 ).
• The use of a derogatory term about a particular woman in an advertisement , did not amount to a depiction that discriminates against or vilifies a person on account of gender .
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A television advertisement for legal services in which a man says ‘ my ex is a lying , cheating psycho ’ ( Maatouks Law Group – 0147 / 15 ).
• A light-hearted comment about timing in relation to a pregnant bride was not a suggestion that getting married is a poor choice but simply that the timing may not be ideal as the bride is pregnant on her wedding day , and does not amount to discrimination or vilification of pregnant brides .
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A billboard advertisement which showed a pregnant bride and the text ‘ You can ’ t perfectly time everything ’ ( BPAY Pty Ltd – 0161 / 15 ).
• The use of female stereotypes , when not used in a negative way , does not amount to discrimination or vilification .
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A television advertisement which featured a woman describing a plate sale and comparing it to shopping ( Ford Motor Co of Aust Ltd - 0056 / 15 ).
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Television advertisements for a woman ’ s sanitary product which showed a female character in a variety of stereotypical scenarios associated with having her period ( Unicharm Australasia ( VIC ) – 0340 / 15 and 0343 / 15 ).
Discrimination on the ground of ethnicity , race or nationality
Discrimination against certain ethnic or racial groups or nationalities is considered under Section 2.1 of the Code . Concerns generally focus on the use of stereotypical portrayals and accents representative of different nationalities .
In 2015 the Board determined a number of advertisements breached the Code in this area . The Board was of the view that :
• The casual use of a word with important social and cultural meaning amounts to discrimination and vilification .
28 Advertising Standards Bureau