ASA investigates ‘gay kiss’ TV ad for Dolce & Gabbana

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is investigating dozens of complaints about a television ad for Dolce & Gabbana watches, which features two men kissing.

The ad, created by the fashion label’s Italian advertising agency, has been aired during shows including The X-Factor. It has so far prompted 34 complaints.

⢠In another adjudication this week, an anti-speeding poster campaign from Warwickshire County Council has been cleared by the ASA after complaints that the images were too graphic.

The two executions featured pictures of actors sitting behind shattered car windscreens made up to look like victims of road accidents, with the strapline “Speeding, it’s not impressive”.

The ASA said that although the images were shocking they were justified because of the serious message behind them.

⢠The authority has also cleared print ads for the Channel 4 comedy show Spoons after complaints they were offensive. The ads, which appeared in the national press, featured stickers reading “I want a fu**ing baby”.

Channel 4 said it was not unusual for ads to feature asterisked swear words and said the ads had been targeting the over-25s. The ASA accepted the ads were carefully targeted and said they would not cause widespread offence.