What do you make of this advert?

[Katiekitty]

Pic on my profile...

It's for a lettings agency, in case you were wondering. I'ts not immediately clear from the image.

I find it offensive, what do you all think?

[bluecardi]

omg it's awful. Is it on display anywhere?

[Katiekitty]

It's in a local newspaper

I initially thought it was goign to be for a fashion place when I glanced at it, but it made no sense as it's in the property pages.

Couldn't believe it when it's for a lettings agency. Horrible message it's giving out.

[bluecardi]

yes - it's just wrong. How could they think it ok to use that ad?

[msrisotto]

Jesus! That's terrible, so basically, her being in a bikini is an offer.....for what? I hate the insinuation. Complain!

[sethstarkaddersmum]

I agree it is horrible and you should complain but I'm afraid I'm pessimistic about you getting any response.

I complained about a mobile phone ad once because it showed the upper half of a naked woman with her arms folded across her breasts and got no response at all from the company or the newspaper and a fob-off from the ASA

[Katiekitty]

I'll still complain though as the company should have to answer why they thought such an image and sucha messae would be ok to sell residential lettings.

Even if all that happens is the company is mildly irritated by a complaint, I'm still doing it.

Seth - what process did you follow? Shaould I email the ASA?

[sethstarkaddersmum]

tell you what though, if I was writing a letter to the lettings agency I would tell them it sends out the message that you would not be safe in a property rented via them because you would wonder about the propriety of the agent who would have a key.

and you could cc it to landlords who rent out property via them?

[sethstarkaddersmum]

yes, look at the ASA website and see what the format is for complaints.

I'm sorry if I sounded defeatist. TBH I do still think it's good to complain rather than not because at someone point someone will be able to collate some statistics that show that the ASA only responds positively to x% of complaints about ads demeaning women but y% of complaints about ads demeaning men.

good luck!

[Katiekitty]

Absolutely Seth.

Plus, if you were a woman viewing a property with this company, would you feel safe?

[sethstarkaddersmum]

pmsl, no I wouldn't! I would feel really, really uncomfortable walking round a property alone with a man who thought this was a suitable ad for his company!
how can anyone have been so dorkish as to think this was a good idea?!

[mamas12]

Complain, the other thing it suggests to me is that the woman herself is the 'property'

sigh it's 2010 and it's still ongoing.

[HerBeatitude]

i don't even think they can claim that it's ironic post-feminism

It's pathetic.

Which advertising agency produced it? I presume it wasn't one of the good ones?

[sethstarkaddersmum]

good point mamas12.

[Eleison]

It is horrible. The feeling it leaves you with is that the male letting agent, the landlord, ect., see attractive women as not only consenting to their lechery but absolutely requiring it, so that the woman instigates whatever sexual harrassment she might be exposed to. And you are supposed then to feel comfortable about a living in a property to which these sleazeballs have a key.

I would complain to the letting company and the ASA. ASA won't do anything but they presubably keep records of complaints that cumulatively show how offensive these attitudes are?

A worry is that the image is so generic that the advertising agency flings it (or an equivalent image) on to whatever product they sell.

[bluecardi]

I wouldn't want to rent from that agency as wouldn't feel safe - good luck with the asa.

[bluecardi]

Just got this from their website

" [email protected]

We always strive to offer an unrivalled level of service to every client we have contact with. The directors love to receive feedback from you. If you feel we have surpassed your expectations, or we could improve our service in any way, please let us know.
"

[sethstarkaddersmum]

you could cut'n'paste some of these comments in your letter to the agency....

[Katiekitty]

I think I will Seth! There's some really great comments here and the more I see this ad, the more amazed I am that it made it into print - like mamas12 said, hard to beleive it's 2010 and this is still deemed acceptable advertising.

At work at the moment, so will compile ASA stuff later and send it across to them.

[bluecardi]

Wonder what ad agency they used - they weren't advised on what's a good & proper ad.

[Katiekitty]

Just looked up this company on their website.

There's two directors: Ben Emmonds and Nick Thorpe, both with links to their basic FB pages. Nick Thorpe lists himself as a fan of the Secret Diary of a Call girl tv series.

Oh really?

[HerBeatitude]

Imagine my surprise

[ElephantsAndMiasmas]

That's what I was thinking Proles - she's not even being a "sassy" sexy inviting kind of person. She doesn't look like she wants to be on offer at all, if anything she looks defensive and afraid.

To me this ad reads:

"A lone woman in a bikini looking vaguely afraid and vulnerable - that's an offer [to assault] you can't refuse! Just like our crappity lettings service!"

[antoinettechigur]

depressing

[wahwahwah]

What exactly are they offering???