1. Award-winning Diesel campaign banned by ASA | Media | guardian.co.uk 30/06/2010 11:45
Award-winning Diesel campaign
banned by ASA
The advertising watchdog has banned the ads from appearing on
posters, saying that billboards are likely to be seen by children
Mark Sweney
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 30 June 2010 07.34 BST
larger | smaller
One of the Diesel ads banned by the ASA. The clothing firm said the image 'tackled society's pre-occupation with
24/7 camera surveillance'
A campaign for Diesel that won a top award at the Cannes advertising festival last week
has been banned by the UK ad watchdog for being offensive and encouraging antisocial
behaviour.
The campaign, which ran on posters and in magazines including Grazia and Dazed &
Confused, is called "Be Stupid".
The campaign featured a number of ads including one with a girl on a stepladder
flashing her breasts at a CCTV camera, while another features a woman holding open
her bikini bottoms and taking a photo of her nether regions.
In its ruling published today, the Advertising Standards Authority cleared the ads to
run in magazines but banned them running as posters because the outdoor versions
were in an "untargeted medium" that was likely to be seen by children and to cause
serious or widespread offence.
The ASA also said that the poster image of the woman taking photos of her genitalia
was not likely to encourage antisocial behaviour but that the other poster, of the flasher
on the ladder, was. The ads were banned by the ASA from running as posters.
Last week the campaign shared the grand prix in the outdoor advertising category at
the Cannes Lions international advertising festival.
However, the ASA received 33 complaints that the ads were unsuitable to be seen by
children, were offensive and condoned or encouraged antisocial behaviour.
Diesel defended the campaign, saying that the images show "a very strong and
unexpected image of femininity", that the woman on the ladder was shown in a "non-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jun/30/diesel-asa-advertising/print Page 1 of 2

2. Award-winning Diesel campaign banned by ASA | Media | guardian.co.uk 30/06/2010 11:45
unexpected image of femininity", that the woman on the ladder was shown in a "non-
exploitative way and that the message tackled society's pre-occupation with 24/7
camera surveillance, yet in a light and non-threatening way".
The clothing company said the content showed no greater levels of provocative nudity
than in many sportswear, swimwear or lingerie ads. Grazia said it was "happy" to carry
the ad it ran as the average age of its readership was 32.
• To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or
phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian
switchboard on 020 3353 2000.
• If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2010
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jun/30/diesel-asa-advertising/print Page 2 of 2