Why This Body-Postivive Ad Was Banned For Being “Offensive”
Lush, a cosmetics company known for their bath bombs and body butters, is being asked to remove a body-positive advertisement for being offensive and pornographic. The campaign features four nude women with their backs to a white wall that’s covered in graffiti with the words “We prefer to go naked like over 100 of our products.”
The poster, which was featured in multiple places in a mall in Australia, received multiple complaints to the Advertising Standards Bureau. All in all, there were four official issues raised, with one noting that the placement at a child’s eye level was particularly concerning. “I am offended as this is nudity for the sake of causing a stir and is offensive and unnecessary,” one wrote. The nudity is completely inappropriate for the family environment of the shopping centre.”
In a statement, Lush Australia’s Director Peta Granger said the ad was meant to “empower people, not make them feel awful about themselves over a body that is probably not ever real due to how much it’s been digitally ‘enhanced.’” He noted that the women, who are all Lush employees, volunteered to participate in the campaign in order to highlight the message that “every single one of us is beautiful in our diversity, regardless of color, shape, size, or life choices.”
Lush employee Courtney Fry, who modeled in the campaign, told BuzzFeed News that she understand that all individuals are allowed to have differing opinions but hopes to educate and challenge thinking with the ad. “I’ve had issues with my body for the majority of my life and having the confidence to do something this far out of my comfort zone was a huge step for me,” she said. “I’ve become much more accepting of my figure for all its fantastic features and flaws, and I think that’s a truly liberating thing.”
The ASB, similar to the the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in England, ruled that Lush had to remove the poster, but the company removed it before the decision was handed down.
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