Though the U.K. Advertising Standards Authority considered the images in the ads were 'sexually suggestive,' they found them 'not overtly sexual' and wouldn't cause 'widespread offence.'
- Sep 24, 2015
AceShowbiz - The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that MAC ads featuring Miley Cyrus can still appear in public places despite "sexually suggestive" label. However, the advertising watchdogs required the ads to be placed distant from school.
The said ads were in form of big posters and billboards, and appeared in shopping malls and underground stations. In the ads, Miley wore a one-piece bodysuit featuring sequins. The "Wrecking Ball" singer was lying on a mirrored room with her legs apart against the wall. She looked at the camera while placing her hands behind her head.
#MileyCyrus MAC ad avoids ban after complaints it was overtly sexual pic.twitter.com/NRJOu64xey
— Miley Cyrus News (@MonumentalMiley) 23 September 2015Complainants of the ads found them "overtly sexual" and "unsuitable for display as posters in public areas, as they were likely to be seen by children." Responding to the complaints, MAC defended the ads, saying that the ads showed the singer "in a confident pose" and "the composition of the ads were designed to draw the viewer to her confident and defiant stare."
Furthermore, the company said that the ads "did not draw attention to Miley Cyrus' breasts or buttocks in anyway and although her crotch was visible in the mirrors' reflections, the ads did not, however, draw attention to that part of her body and could not be perceived as being sexual."
However, the A.S.A. had different opinion from the company. After making careful assessment of the ads, the board said in a statement that "some might find the posters distasteful, particularly in the context of a make-up ad and we considered that the overall message of the posters was sexually suggestive."
Later on, the A.S.A. stated, "While we considered that the images in all three posters were sexually suggestive, we concluded however, that they were not overtly sexual and unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence." With regard to their "sexually suggestive" nature, "they were therefore, inappropriate for general outdoor display and warranted a placement restriction of not appearing within 100 m of schools."
