A risqué ad for a fragrance by designer Tom Ford has been cleared by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
The spot appeared in GQ and Wallpaper magazines and showed part of a woman’s naked body in close-up. A bottle of perfume covered her genitals, with her hand reaching towards the bottle.
Text on the ad stated: ‘Tom Ford for men the first fragrance for men from Tom Ford.’
Two complainants claimed that the ad was offensive, arguing that it was sexually explicit.
However, Tom Ford Beauty, the designer’s company, said that the ads were placed in GQ and Wallpaper because they were aimed at sophisticated, style-conscious men.
The company argued that the ad had an artistic quality, rather than a salacious one, and pointed out that the picture was closely cropped and showed no sexual body parts or interaction.
GQ said that the image was “thought provoking but not indecent”, while Wallpaper also defended it, although admitted that it had received one complaint over the spot.
The ASA ruled that the ad was in keeping with the style and content of the mags and was unlikely to cause offence.
Source: mad.co.uk