Complaints Aborted…ASA finds that morning after pill advert wasn’t offensive

Based on article from asa.org.uk See advert on YouTube Read more ASA Advert Censorship on MelonFarmers.co.uk

A TV ad for Levonelle One Step emergency contraception featured cartoon-style animation of a worried-looking woman lying in bed next to a snoring man. Above her head a condom balloon floated round the room and burst to reveal the text The ‘condom split’ one. The woman was then shown on a bus near to another woman holding a crying baby. Text on the window of the bus stated The ‘I’m not ready for that’ one. The ad then featured the woman walking into a chemist where she was given Levonelle One Step by a female pharmacist. The text The ‘only over the counter’ one appeared as she picked up the product. The woman was shown walking out of the chemist with a smile on her face as the text The ‘what a relief’ one appeared on a billboard. A female voice-over said Levonelle One Step 72 hour emergency contraception. More effective the sooner you take it. On-screen text during the ad stated Emergency contraception and advice can also be obtained from your GP, Family Planning Clinic or NHS Walk-in Centre” and “Contains levonorgestrel. Always read the label. Not 100% effective. 112 viewers, who believed the light-hearted, cartoon style of the ad trivialised a serious issue and might lead young people to think that unprotected sex was not a problem and therefore encourage promiscuity, challenged whether the ad was offensive. Clearcast said the ad offered help to those who feared they might become pregnant through no fault of their own, rather than because they were indulging in promiscuous or unsafe sex. The ad featured a condom splitting and therefore encouraged safe sex while pointing out that accidents could happen. The ad, and on-screen text in particular, made it clear that the product was for emergencies rather than something to be used in a casual manner. They believed the public information tone of the ad justified the use of animation, which was not graphic in itself and did not contain any overt references to sex. Because of the adult theme, they had given the ad a post-9pm restriction in order to keep the ad away from younger viewers. ASA Assessment: Complaints not upheld The ASA noted that the visuals and on-screen text referred to the fact that a condom had split, and we considered that it was clear that the couple’s method of contraception had failed, rather than that they had had unprotected sex. We also noted that the voice-over and on-screen text referred to the product as emergency contraception, and we considered that it was also clear from the ad that the product was designed to be used in a specific situation where a contraceptive mishap had occurred, rather than as a regular form of contraception. We noted that the woman looked worried as she was shown sitting in bed and on the way to the chemist, and we considered that the ad suggested that her situation was not trivial but of concern to her. We considered that the animation did not present the woman in a glamorous or fashionable way, and we therefore considered that the style of the ad was unlikely to have particular appeal to young people. Because of that, and because we considered that the ad as a whole did not trivialise the issue of emergency contraception or encourage unprotected sex, we concluded that the ad would not cause serious or widespread offence.

HTML clipboardRead more ASA Advert Censorship on MelonFarmers.co.uk