Post by max23 on Sept 18, 2019 10:33:21 GMT -5
Ad Standards, the body that handles complaints about advertisements has ruled an ad campaign showing menstrual blood for the first time on Australian TV did not breach the industry's code of ethics.
Last month Asaleo Care, which makes Libra period pads, ran advertisements in primetime slots, highlighting a number of ways young girls and women experience menstruation.
Scenes included a young girl removing a blood-stained pad from her underwear, and a close-up shot of a woman in the shower, showing blood and water running down her legs.
Ad Standards received more than 600 objections to the advert, and has dismissed all of them.
A number of people argued that showing period blood was "disgusting", but the watchdog found the commercial did not break any section of the advertising Code of Ethics.
Complaints about the ad included that it was "distasteful", "unnecessary", "offensive and inappropriate", "disturbing" and "not appropriate for children".
One complainant said, "Bodily secretions shouldn't be shown on TV ads".
The regulator noted that some complainants were upset the ad was broadcast during meal time, and considered some of the images of women having their period "unsavoury", but said "bad taste" fell outside the Code of Ethics.
Section 2.6 of the code says marketing material must not "depict material contrary to Prevailing Community Standards on health and safety".
The watchdog's community panel was satisfied that the depiction of bodily fluids did not constitute a breach of the code, and noted that a viewer's aversion to blood was not covered by the code.
According to the company's research, three out of four Australian women say there is a greater stigma attached to periods than there is drugs or STIs, and a further eight out of 10 women go to great lengths to hide their periods.
Most alarmingly, their research revealed that 70 per cent of young Australian women would rather fail a class than have their peers know they are having their period.
News report: www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-18/as-standards-rule-on-period-blood-after-complaints-over-libra-ad/11521530
Last month Asaleo Care, which makes Libra period pads, ran advertisements in primetime slots, highlighting a number of ways young girls and women experience menstruation.
Scenes included a young girl removing a blood-stained pad from her underwear, and a close-up shot of a woman in the shower, showing blood and water running down her legs.
Ad Standards received more than 600 objections to the advert, and has dismissed all of them.
A number of people argued that showing period blood was "disgusting", but the watchdog found the commercial did not break any section of the advertising Code of Ethics.
Complaints about the ad included that it was "distasteful", "unnecessary", "offensive and inappropriate", "disturbing" and "not appropriate for children".
One complainant said, "Bodily secretions shouldn't be shown on TV ads".
The regulator noted that some complainants were upset the ad was broadcast during meal time, and considered some of the images of women having their period "unsavoury", but said "bad taste" fell outside the Code of Ethics.
Section 2.6 of the code says marketing material must not "depict material contrary to Prevailing Community Standards on health and safety".
The watchdog's community panel was satisfied that the depiction of bodily fluids did not constitute a breach of the code, and noted that a viewer's aversion to blood was not covered by the code.
According to the company's research, three out of four Australian women say there is a greater stigma attached to periods than there is drugs or STIs, and a further eight out of 10 women go to great lengths to hide their periods.
Most alarmingly, their research revealed that 70 per cent of young Australian women would rather fail a class than have their peers know they are having their period.
News report: www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-18/as-standards-rule-on-period-blood-after-complaints-over-libra-ad/11521530