Too hot to handle
This is one of the less raunchy versions of the ad that has fallen foul of the Advertising Standards Authority.
The ASA says, "We considered that the portrayal of the priest and nun in a sexualised manner - and the implication that they were considering whether or not to give in to temptation - was likely to cause serious offence to some readers." The watchdog has banned the ads, which include images of the model playing the priest .
The publisher has apologised for any offence caused, though they maintain that their target audience, aged between 25 and 55, would not be offended by the campaign. They say their campaign's original ambition was to create a "tongue-in-cheek" portrayal of Antonio Federici ice cream as "forbidden Italian temptation".
Comment number 1.
At 1st Jul 2009, MarcusAureliusII wrote:Offensive, kind of like the Satanic Verses only this time it's British Christians instead of Iranian Moslems so it's not allowed? This is more proof that there is no real freedom of speech in the UK and it is not a democracy. The UK has no problem sliding far down on what SCOTA calls the slippery slope of censorship. As anyone who has considered the freedom of to speak one's mind knows, it needs protecting most when it is at it's offensive, not when it is inoffensive. That's its real test, the one the UK just failed again.
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Comment number 2.
At 1st Jul 2009, sharonf1000 wrote:The ads are tacky and pathetic using the old "sex sells" idea. I don't think the black and white clothes the models are wearing makes them any worse than all the other similarly ridiculous ads. I don't think that my not liking it means they should be banned either, though I wish ad agencies could be a bit more imaginative.
It's disappointing the see the ASA ban this because it could be offensive to some people, when they the complaints of several viewers on the misinterpretation of an autistic teenage as a monster.
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Comment number 3.
At 1st Jul 2009, John Wright wrote:Oh, no!, someone may offend someone else! Time to bring the guns in to stop it!
Damn, I hate big government.
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Comment number 4.
At 2nd Jul 2009, Electra2009 wrote:It kinda brings you back to the 70s doesn't it? tongue-in-cheek, oooer missus kinda stupid seaside postcard humour :-)
I find it a bit silly to be honest, but not that offensive in the scheme of things.............surely.......???
Dave Allen woulda liked it :-)
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Comment number 5.
At 2nd Jul 2009, SheffTim wrote:A priest sexually tempted by an adult woman!
Come on, thats not the mental picture most people have nowadays when they think of priests and sexual matters, following the host of scandals involving priests and child abuse.
I'd have thought the RC church would have seen this as a positive move in rehabilitating priests in the publics' eyes.
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Comment number 6.
At 4th Jul 2009, Orville Eastland wrote:It's not new, even for ads. United Colors of Benneton may have done this earlier...
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