Independent Porsche specialist’s “sexist” advert banned

Advertising Standards Authority deems advert sexist and tells garage to ensure future ads do not objectify women

Independent Porsche specialist’s “sexist” advert banned
Strasse (UK) Ltd in Leeds. Image: Google Street View.

An independent Porsche specialist garage has had a ‘sexist’ advert banned for objectifying women.

Leeds-based Strasse featured the advert in a February 2019 edition of 911 & Porsche World.

It showed an image of the lower half of a woman’s body wearing a black fitted mini-dress and brightly coloured high heels under a car, surrounded by tools and a handbag.

The advert also featured text stating “Attractive servicing”.

“Offensive and irresponsible”

One person complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), saying the advert “was degrading and sexist towards women” and claiming it could be seen as “offensive and irresponsible”.

Strasse (UK) Ltd refuted the complaint, saying the model was fully clothed and empowered by having the tools there.

It added that the words “attractive servicing” referred to its prices.

Publisher CH Publications Ltd said the model wasn’t nude and it wasn’t clear that it was a female either.

It also said the model’s pose was the typical position of anyone working beneath a car.

However, the ASA rejected Strasse and CH Publications’ comments.

It added that the model’s waist and lower half appeared from beneath the car, with her legs apart.

Model was main focus of ad

Since the model’s face wasn’t shown, it said, that meant the lower half of her body became the main focus of the ad.

The watchdog commented that the phrase ‘attractive servicing’ would be understood to be a double entendre, implying the woman was the ‘attractive’ part of the servicing.

It said it “considered this . . . likely to be viewed as demeaning towards women”.

It added: “Although the image was only mildly sexual in nature, when combined with the phrase ‘attractive servicing’ it had the effect of objectifying women by using a woman’s physical features to draw attention to the ad.”

The ASA has told Strasse (UK) Ltd to ensure that its advertising was socially responsible and didn’t cause serious offence by objectifying women.

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  • #178912 Reply

    An independent Porsche specialist garage has had a ‘sexist’ advert banned for objectifying women. Leeds-based Strasse featured the advert in a Februar
    [See the full post at: Independent Porsche specialist’s “sexist” advert banned]

    #178932 Reply
    David rathmell
    Guest

    Oh for god sake it was a daft tongue in check add some one wants to get a sodding life, political correctness gone mad the Asa should have responded with a grow up to the advertiser and get a life to the complainant who clearly has a problem with reality.

    #178933 Reply
    Sally
    Guest

    Totally agree with David. Oh, sorry; I’m female and should be offended(!)

    #178934 Reply
    Jemima Washington
    Guest

    Please! ASA were completely in their right to tell them to change their advert. If it wasn’t their intention to objectify women’s body as a commodity which could be used ‘sell’ the services of the garage then the same advert could have been produced with a man’s body in boxers- or a woman’s body in overalls. The avert clearly planned to use the woman’s body as a sexual offer to get them to choose their garage.

    #178935 Reply
    Don
    Guest

    It’s true we are all letting ‘SNOWFLAKES’ influence normal peoples lives nowadays !!

    #178936 Reply
    Peter fearnley
    Guest

    What’s the problem ? Surely it’s human nature to like an attractive woman weather your a man or woman I’m sure there wouldn’t be a problem if it was a man in boxer shorts or has all human nature been disallowed now due to correctness?

    #178938 Reply
    wendy
    Guest

    Good decision. Women and girls are objectified covertly and overtly. By allowing the subtle (and the obvious) treatment of women as objects, valued only for their bodies and physical appeal to the male then violence against women and girls will continue as those men socialized by these adverts are validated in their belief that women only exist to please the man. And before you throw the NAMALT at me (not all men are like that) then wake up those men who say nothing because your silence perpetuates the problem.

    Kicks away soap box and goes to make a cup of tea…

    #178939 Reply
    Jon Morgan
    Guest

    Crazy story. Advertising uses sex to sell on a grand scale daily, there appears to be a poor judgement taken here. I think with this in mind, it’s probably time for the ASA to ban the Coca Cola advert where a well muscled male window cleaner strips to drink a tin of Coke while the gallery of (attractive) women lick their lips in a sexually heated manner. The last thing I wish to see on my TV is a bloke stripping to drink a can of sugar laced junk food. I also feel all ladies and gentlemen in adverts should be wearing dinner suits and be forced to stand up straight in order to avoid possible sexually questionable poses which offend people with no animal magnetism running through their veins. The end of the human race is nigh! Men can no longer be attracted to women and women to men. I don’t recall re-entering the Victorian era, but maybe I missed something? Any chance of publishing the ad? 😉

    #178940 Reply
    Clare
    Guest

    Oh for God’s sake! Oh yes, like Sally I’m a woman too and I’m not offended either.
    If the fun police get their way we’re all going to be zombies by the end of the year. I agree with Jon – let’s see it and if people start dropping dead at the horror of it then I’ll change my opinion.

    #178941 Reply
    Dougal
    Guest

    I look forward to them making another ad showing a slim pair of legs in a miniskirt under a car.
    They will need to video the bearded guy changing into a mini skirt to show in their defence.
    Instead of searching for something to whine about people should concentrate on the real injustices in the world.

    #178942 Reply
    Chris
    Guest

    Past your expiry date ladies?
    You had your chance, you used it while you had it – now move aside and stop whining.

    No more politics please GarageWire.

    #178943 Reply
    Steph Savill
    Guest

    Google ‘Strasse Porsche advert’ in Images to see for yourself. It’s vulgar and does our industry image no good. I’m pleased the ASA expect higher standards here but I’m not at all surprised that some in the motor industry don’t get this, male or female. Standards have risen to meet female customer expectations and thankfully the majority of garages now appreciate that you can’t afford to offend ANY customer even when you might think a vulgar advert is funny.

    #178946 Reply
    Jonny
    Guest

    Are the advertising agency saying that only women are allowed to wear pink heels and tight mini dresses? I’m offended! Everytime I lay under a car dressed like that I have no end of offers of help from well-meaning gentlemen. The worlds gone mad!

    #178947 Reply
    jan
    Guest

    One person complained, a few thousand didn’t!

    #178948 Reply
    Bobby Davro
    Guest

    Too many limp wristed lefty’s and fat lesbians have control of the media nowadays. Get a life and stop using sensible peoples oxygen.

    #179031 Reply
    Andy
    Guest

    Quite right….the advertising agencies would be buggered without the use of sex to sell…coke advert is one of many. The original Levi’s advert in the laundrette is another example. The people who identify as table chair legs will be offended by IKEA next lol

    #180630 Reply
    John The Atheist
    Guest

    Really, Really, I can not believe people have moaned about this. Get a life. I would like for them to go to the nearest tree within their vicinity and apologize to it as it’s working hard to produce oxygen for them. What a joke world we live in. As a father of 2 daughters i would have no issue if they came home and said ive got a modelling job lying under a car FULLY CLOTHED not even a hint of flesh on display (ive seen the ad) It does not objectify women it empowers them in a male dominated world, that garage would not of attracted more customers without her , how is that demeaning? Should the female model only do work that does not objectify women. Guess what people, she’d starve. Grow up and get a proper job……………………

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