An 'over-sexualised' Femfresh advert is banned for 'objectifying' women
![This Femfresh advert has been banned by the ASA [Photo: Femfresh]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/SerlZ.3z7H2gtBG8xwR2Mg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD03NzY-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/feed_manager_auto_publish_494/8bcb5c9d3bdf3d7a81c13c5a10d3b993)
A Femfresh advert has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for ‘objectifying’ women and for the likelihood that it could cause “serious or widespread offence.”
Shown on ITV and Channel 4 on-demand services earlier this year, the advert for the company’s bikini line shaving products, featured women wearing knickers and swimwear while dancing and including several close-up shots of the women’s crotches.
According to the ASA 17 complaints were received which included claims that the advert objectified women and portrayed them in an overly sexualised way.
Church & Dwight UK, the brand which owns Femfresh, said the advert was aimed at a target audience of 18 to 34-year-old women and that the dance sequence was choreographed by a woman with the aim to illustrate some of the moves regularly featured in exercise classes.
It added that the close-ups shots were used to illustrate that the product could give consumers a smooth bikini line.
Neither Channel 4 or ITV received any complaints about the advert directly and both agreed with comments made by Church & Dwight that it did not objectify women.
But the ASA didn’t agree, noting that the dance sequence was “highly sexualised”, there were “few shots” of the women’s faces and the high-cut swimsuits “were more exposing” than most.
![The Femfresh advert received 17 complaints [Photo: Femfresh]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/_shnAtkCONWKV6RCSe_DxQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU5OQ--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/feed_manager_auto_publish_494/a982bd5293e2d122061e20a6d88cb15c)
“Even taking into account the nature of the product, we considered that it had been presented in an overly-sexualised way that objectified women,” the ASA said.
“We concluded that the ad was likely to cause serious or widespread offence and therefore breached the code.”
It ruled that the advert must not appear again in its current form.
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