Special Group and MediaWorks smacked for ‘slut’ billboard
The Just Desserts billboard has apparently gotten its just deserts.
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Special Group, MediaWorks and APN Outdoor have been smacked by the Advertising Standards Authority for a billboard that featured the word ‘slut’, with multiple complaints upheld.
The billboard, for Top Chef Just Desserts, was located in Auckland and Wellington.
It featured the words “backstabbing slut” on a cake in icing as well as the tagline “Top Chef Just Desserts – they make desserts, not friends”.
Several complainants said the word “slut” was highly offensive and children should not be seeing it.
The billboard was done by Special Group for MediaWorks for the launch campaign of channel Four.
MediaWorks said in response to the complaints: “Anecdotal evidence suggests the word 'slut' is increasingly being used as a throwaway humorous line, in the same way as 'slapper' or 'bugger' is, as opposed to a nasty insult - especially amongst younger people.
“US reality shows contain regularly use of the phrase as a light-hearted form of insult. Teenage girls in New Zealand now frequently use the phrase as a humorous insult.”
Special Group said it had positioned the new channel FOUR as “entertainment with a touch of wickedness”.
“The ‘backstabbing slut’ line has been used with humour to promote the reality show Top Chef: Just Desserts. The line is written in icing in a crafted, handwritten style, subtle message on a cake, and not as a blatant headline.
“One has to fully engage with the communication to absorb it.”
APN Outdoor said the majority of complaints were “in our opinion verging on the hysterical”.
The ASA Complaints Board found the public nature of the billboard, along with the offensive nature of the wording, meant it had offended against “generally prevailing community standards”, and that it was likely to cause serious offence.
Hazel Phillips
Thu, 28 Apr 2011
Thu, 28 Apr 2011
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Special Group and MediaWorks smacked for ‘slut’ billboard
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