ASA censures Trojan poster campaign

US condom brand Trojan has been censured by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for encouraging children to access sexually explicit material through its website.

Its poster campaign features a woman with her eyes closed and mouth open with the tagline: “Come online and play the sex organ”. It prompted 42 complaints.

Media Therapy created the outdoor campaign, which was mocked up in the style of a magazine cover. In April a similar campaign by Trojan resulted in 33 complaints to the ASA, but the complaints were not upheld (MW April 8).

Separately, the advertising watchdog has upheld a complaint against a Mitsubishi Motors press ad for its Evolution VIII model because of the emphasis on speed.

The ad uses the tagline: “Scary” and highlights the fact that people who drive too fast are likely to be caught by the police. However, the ASA has ruled that claims such as “Speed, poise and awesome ground-covering ability” and “if it’s power you’re after…” make speed the predominant message of the ad.

The ASA has also censured Hachette Filipacchi UK’s promotional activity for Sugar magazine, after rival, the National Magazine Company, complained that the claim “Free! Designer bracelet worth £12.99” was misleading.

The regulator has told Hachette not to use the claim “designer” for promotional items unless a well-known designer has made them.