Advertising: Manhunting In The Open Ok

The Advertising Standards Authority has rejected twenty complaints about a billboard poster for Manhunt Mobile placed in London.
Complainees said the ad was "overtly sexual" and could be seen by children (!)
There were only two posters, I believe close to Heaven and the Royal Vauxhall Tavern.
Good news that the ASA hasn't caved into the anti-gay prudes this time.

'The ASA noted Online Buddies had booked locations which were close to gay clubs but which were also away from schools or businesses that offered children-based services and that they believed both the locations and image were relevant to the advertised product. We understood the ad was a large billboard and that all the complainants had seen it in its first location before it had been moved. We acknowledged Online Buddies' attempts to restrict the ad, both before it was displayed and after they became aware of complaints made to the ASA.
'We recognised that the image in the ad was relevant to the advertised product. However, we noted that the couple were shown bare-chested and from the chest up only and it was therefore unclear whether they were naked or not. We noted that the eyes of one man were closed whilst the eyes of the other appeared to be seductively looking at him and that their lips were parted as if they were about to kiss. Although we considered the image could be seen as sexual and the ad's size could draw attention to the sexual nature of their embrace, we considered the image of the embracing couple who were about to kiss was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.
'On this point, we investigated the ad under CAP Code (Edition 12) rule 4.1 (Harm and Offence), but did not find it in breach.'

From the adjudication.

 

Advertising: Thou Shalt Not

Here's the list released by the Advertising Standards Authority of the ten most complained about ads of all time.
Unbelievably this 1995 safer sex one from the British Standards Council is at number 5 - and, but of course, it was upheld as being offensive to Catholics!
Although regular viewers will know the ASA is rather overfond of not wanting poor Christians be offended by an advert - and the depiction of gayers in this context appears to be unquestionably "offensive".
Oh, and most complaints seem to come from incredibly boring busybodies.
Who knew!?

Coalition 4 Marriage: Romantic Fictions

The ASA’s decision to investigate complaints about a series of ads by the Coalition for Marriage that are appearing in the press and online has prompted some comment in the media, the blogosphere and in other social media.  We would like to clarify that the fact that we are investigating the complaints does not mean we will necessarily ‘uphold’ them, leading to the ad being banned.  We are not at that decision-making stage yet and will, as always, take into account the responses we receive.  The right of advertisers responsibly to express their views will undoubtedly be an important factor in our assessment of whether the ads are likely to cause serious or widespread offence.  We are also looking at whether the ads are misleading.
One of the bloggers on whose blog the ads appeared has raised concerns about us contacting him as part of our investigation.  We have long found it useful to ask, in confidence, publishers of ads subject to ‘offence’ complaints for their views, because they can give us a valuable insight into whether or not their readers are likely to be offended.  They are not the subject of our investigation, as we have made clear to them in this case, and they are not compelled to respond.  Many of the adjudications published on our websites bear that out.  Here are examples of ASA rulings where publishers have responded and we have agreed with them that the ads under investigation were acceptable, where some have regretted publishing the ad in question and where the publisher has declined to comment.
We cannot comment further on our ongoing investigation before we reach a decision, but we will very carefully assess the issues at hand before we publish our findings.

Advertising Standards Authority statement. 
Issued after an in-no-way hysterical story in The Daily Mail,

Christian blogger plunged into free speech row after being told to justify 'offensive and homophobic' anti-gay marriage advert

'A Christian blogger is at the centre of a free speech row after posting an 'offensive' advert on behalf of a petition against plans to legalise gay marriage. Advertising watchdogs have demanded an explanation from the writer, known by the pen name Archbishop Cranmer, after they received 24 complaints. The Advertising Standards Authority is asking that he respond to claims that the message - which asks viewers to 'Help us keep the true meaning of marriage' - is homophobic.

The Mail has since updated their article online to include two quotes from the ASA statement, but have somewhat missed one of the main points and left in the accusation made in the opening paragraph that they "demanded an explanation" from the blogger.
Ho-hum..

PS You should check out the Archbishop Cramner blog - he's every bit as crazy as he is scary.
The fact that 24 people complained about the ads - a pretty disappointing figure - comes from an ASA reply to him. 10 said they found it "offensive", 14 contested the use of a poll had that said 70% of people oppose gay marriage.

Paddy Power: Stupid Ads

'Complaints over an advert for bookmaker Paddy Power featuring transgender people have been upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

'The TV advert shown in February ahead of Ladies' Day at the Cheltenham Festival invited viewers to spot the "stallions" from the "mares".
'The ASA investigated 92 complaints that the advert was offensive and condoned harmful discriminatory behaviour.
'It ruled that it must not be shown again in its current form.
'The advert stated: "...we're going to make Ladies' Day even more exciting by sending in some beautiful transgendered ladies. Spot the stallions from the mares".
'The advert showed a series of brief shots of people at the event while the voice-over tried to guess their gender.
'In one scene, a woman was shown holding a dog while the voice-over said "woman" then hesitated while the shot changed to show a woman walking out of a men's toilet, then said "dog, I mean man"...'

BBC News. 
Interesting, the ASA has a very poor record on ruling on complaints about LGBT people and adverts.
Earlier this year they okayed the "Not Gay! Ex-Gay Post Gay And Proud Of It" London bus posters.
But upheld complaints about a 2010 Federici ice cream ad that showed two priests about to kiss - even though only six complaints had been received. 
But then it was some Christians who complained about the latter, not The Gays.

PS Paddy Power said they consulted The Beaumont Society on the script, but The Beaumont Society say they were shown a different version to the one filmed.

On The Buses: Busted

The Twittersphere has been ABLAZE this afternoon over news that posters bearing the legend, ‘Not gay! Ex-gay, post-gay and proud. Get over it!’, would be appearing on London buses next week.
This was announced in a statement by two rabidly anti-gay Christian grouplets, Anglican Mainstream and Core Issues, who said it was their response to Stonewall's current advertising campaign; "Some people are gay. Get over it!"
But these went further than Coalition 4 Marriage's highly contentious press and online adverts, as they suggest gay people could, should and can be "cured".
Initially the idea that these would be approved sounded so improbable I wondered if it was an evangelical prank - a false flag campaign that wasn't really happening, but was just designed to generate much sound and fury, and thus loads of free publicity.
Which it has.
But apparently the Advertising Standards Authority had okayed it, claiming the advert "does not infringe any advertising rules in the UK".
Eh?
Section 4.1 of the ASA Code states; "Marketing communications must not contain anything that is likely to cause serious or widespread offence. Particular care must be taken to avoid causing offence on the grounds of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. Compliance will be judged on the context, medium, audience, product and prevailing standards."
Its blatantly false claims about the voodoo of conversion cures are also clearly in contravention of Section 3.
[Update: "Core Issues co-director Mike Davidson said: "We went through the correct channels and we were encouraged by the bus company to go through their procedures. They okayed it and now it has been pulled." BBC News].
Mind you the ASA have form on appeasing homophobic religious nutters. 
At around 6pm it was announced that the campaign had been blocked at the behest of the hapless, hopeless Mayor Of London, Boris Johnson - after The Guardian told his office what was going on.
Transport For London then tweeted to say that they had also been completely unaware of them.
Unbelievable.
What a shower, what a joke, what a farce!

   

Update: Alok Jha in The Guardian online on why the claims of "conversion therapy" are junk science.