Times Square Bans Jeans Ad

Look closely and you’ll see the girl’s outstretched hand rests rather close to the guy’s, eh, upper thigh. Building landlords thought it was a bit too close and they turned down the $50,000 a month lease.

Now this ad is not from some sleazy outfit. Plugg Jeans, a division of Andrew International, sold more than $100 million worth of jeans last year.

Ever since companies such as Reuters, Conde Naste and Morgan Stanley have opened new buildings in the area the Times Square Business Improvement District takes a closer look at what is being put on the area’s billboards, although the final decision rests with the landlord.

A representative for the landlord that turned down the ad told Advertising Age, “What one person thinks is edgy or hip and perfectly acceptable, others may view as suggestive to a fault or even offensive.”

Makes one wonder if he saw the new Paris Hilton ad for Carl Jr’s $6. hamburger. Gives a whole new definition to raunchy and yet it hasn’t been banned – fact is on the first couple of days it crashed Carl’s web site. Probably a good thing that Carl’s isn’t in New York , therefore no need to worry about reform-minded landlords.

ftm background

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Meanwhile Trojan brand condoms have made their debut on prime time US television – something few thought they would see in their lifetime. Trojan’s trick was to get away from the locker-room humor and instead get very serious: “40 per cent of people who are HIV-positive don’t tell their partners,” the ad intones. “Other than abstinence, the only way to protect yourself is with a condom every time.”

True to form the conservative American Family Association (AFA) urged its members to pressure Congress to pressure the networks not to show the ads.

When the AFA wants to get really serious it advocates a product boycott, as it is currently conducting against Ford because the auto company supports gay rights. But how do you urge the boycott of a product that the bulk of your membership, given their religious leanings, shouldn’t be using in the first place, anyway?

Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled it is perfectly ok to have a TV commercial with people singing with their mouths full of fried chicken. And lest you think we’re kidding, that ad for KFC (used to be Kentucky Fried Chicken) caused more complaints -- 1671 -- than any other in ASA’s history.

Outraged mothers said the ad showed poor table manners, that it increased the risk of choking, and it encouraged overeating. ASA said in a statement, “As teaching good table manners is an ongoing process needing frequent reminders at meal times, we did not agree that the advertisement would have a detrimental effect.”

ASA did take to task, however, Damart, a company that produces thermal underwear worn mostly by grandma and her peers (no string panties in their collection).

Their catalogue company had the brilliant idea of sending out a letter with the envelope emblazoned "Final reminder" in bold red, addressed from "the Finance Director" and also marked "Attention concerning your customer file: Settlement of outstanding items".

The old dears thought they owed the company money, and they had one last chance to pay; they did not understand immediately it was a marketing ploy to take advantage of special offers, and when they did 270 of them complained.

ASA agreed the ad was “misleading and distressing”. The company fell on its sword and apologized to offended customers by telephone, letter and via television interviews.

And finally we can report that ASA has rejected the single complaint received against a newspaper advertising campaign last year that claimed “Only the finest farmers produce the finest Scottish farmed salmon.” So there!

Times Square Actually Bans an Ad For Being Too Raunchy, and a Trojan Condom Ad Makes it to Primetime US Airwaves. Mixed Signals On Just What Is Acceptable These Days?