A shoe firm’s ad campaign – featuring female nudity alongside the phrase ‘fancy a pair?’ – has been banned for being ‘degrading’ to women.
Watchdogs ruled that the multimedia adverts for Goodwin Smith Shoes – accompanied by an image of three models wearing just knickers – ‘objectified’ women.
An investigation was launched after the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received nine complaints about ads for the Lancashire-based firm.
The breasts of one of the women in the email were exposed, while the second covered her chest with her arm with her nipple exposed and the third posed in front of the others holding a pair of shoes over her chest.
The ‘degrading’ advert showed a number of topless women in thongs as they showcased pairs of Goodwin Smithshoes
The shoe firm’s ad campaign – featuring female nudity alongside the phrase “fancy a pair?” – has been banned for being ‘degrading’ to women
The Advertising Standards Authority ruled against the advert, which the body said ‘objectified’ women
A man sprays Champagne over the set of the ‘degrading’ advert, as topless women dance in the background
The video shows one of the women using a machine to fire fake bank notes over the set as another waves a foam finger around
A man modelling a pair of Goodwin Smith shoes fires a stream of fake bank notes into the face of one of the women
The group of men and naked women also drink alcohol in the advert – surrounded by boxes of Goodwin Smith shoes
An ASA spokesman said: ‘We considered that a number of scenes … were sexually suggestive and that for most of the video the women danced in a seductive manner’
A man stares at one of the naked women’s chest in one of the scenes. Redfoot Shoes, trading as Goodwin Smith, said the campaign had attempted to portray a ‘fantasy concept’
The company’s website also included the claim ‘Fancy a pair?’ and was accompanied by an image of two women who were topless, wearing only knickers and covering their breasts with shoes.
Redfoot Shoes, trading as Goodwin Smith said that the campaign had attempted to portray a ‘fantasy concept’ in which the men were portrayed as being confident’, and was not meant to degrade women.
But the ASA found that the ads breached rules regarding social responsibility as well as harm and offence, and banned them from appearing again.
But the ASA found that the ads breached rules regarding social responsibility as well as harm and offence, and banned them from appearing again
A man dances next to a topless woman clutching a saxophone. The company’s website also included the claim “Fancy a pair?”
The ASA added: ‘We considered the general content, and those scenes in particular, to be both sexually suggestive and degrading to women, and therefore likely to cause serious offence’
An investigation was launched after the ASA received nine complaints about ads for the Lancashire-based firm
The breasts of one of the women in the email were exposed, while the second covered her chest with her arm with her nipple exposed and the third posed in front of the others holding a pair of shoes over her chest
A topless woman covers her breasts with a pair of Goodwin Smith shoes
An ASA spokesman said: ‘We considered that a number of scenes … were sexually suggestive and that for most of the video the women danced in a seductive manner.
‘Scenes included one shot in which a woman was seen serving a man alcohol whilst just wearing a thong and in another in which a woman was on her knees facing a man who was using a machine to shoot banknotes into her face.
‘We considered the general content, and those scenes in particular, to be both sexually suggestive and degrading to women, and therefore likely to cause serious offence.’