Background
Summary of Council decision:
Two issues were investigated, both of which were Not upheld.
Ad description
Seventeen interactive ads on video on demand (VOD), on You Tube and Facebook, and cinema screens for Lynx shower gel.
VOD ads:
a. An ad showed five women with the voice-over referring to each one in turn as either "party girl", "high maintenance girl", "brainy girl", "flirty girl" or "sporty girl". The screen became static showing pictures of the five women with their 'names' next to them. Text stated "WHAT'S YOUR TYPE? CLICK ON A GIRL TO SEE HER FILM. KEEP UP WITH LYNX SHOWER GELS".
b. Clicking on "PARTY GIRL" took the viewer through to a video ad showing a man and woman dancing in a domestic setting. The voice-over stated, "If you're the kind of guy who finds himself still up at 7.30 am dancing in the smouldering wreckage of his apartment, you're probably going out with a party girl. Keep going and she'll grant you access to her VIP area. Keep going with Lynx Fever." On-screen text stated "KEEP YOUR PARTY GIRL HAPPY".
c. Clicking on "HIGH MAINTENANCE GIRL" activated a video ad showing a woman walking down a street while talking on her mobile. She was followed by a man holding numerous shopping bags and the lead of a dog. The voice-over stated, "If you're the type of guy who goes out shopping on a Saturday juggling a headache, twenty bags and an uncharacteristically frisky Chihuahua, you're probably dating a high maintenance girl. Survive this and you'll be next on her 'to-do' list. Repair yourself with Lynx Recover." Text stated "KEEP YOUR HIGH MAINTENANCE GIRL HAPPY".
d. Clicking on "BRAINY GIRL" showed a man and woman sitting in a theatre watching a production. The woman looked engrossed and emotional, while the man was clearly struggling to enjoy the play. He suddenly stood up, being the first of the audience to applaud. The voice-over stated, "If you're the kind of guy who finds himself watching a Greek tragedy in its original language for three hours with no interval, you're probably going out with a brainy girl. Stay awake until the end and she'll give an encore you'll never forget. Stay awake with Lynx Rise." Text stated "KEEP YOUR BRAINY GIRL HAPPY".
e. Clicking on "FLIRTY GIRL" showed a man holding a brightly coloured drink and a woman's handbag. A woman was shown standing close to another woman, touching the other woman's hand and necklace. The voice-over stated, "If you're the type of guy who finds himself in a bar holding his lady's purse and her Woo Woo as she chats up everything with a pulse, you're probably going out with a flirty girl. Just stay cool and she will come back with the goods." The man grinned at the two women, as the first woman beckoned him to join them. The voice-over stated, "Stay cool with Lynx Cool Metal." Text stated "KEEP YOUR FLIRTY GIRL HAPPY".
f. Clicking on "SPORTS GIRL" activated a video ad showing a man and woman playing mixed doubles tennis. The voice-over stated "There he is, boyfriend of a sporty girl. She doesn't care that you've never played tennis before, as long as you help her win.", The man hit the ball with great force sending it in to the face of their male opponent. The voice-over continued "Ouch. That's one way to do it. Now hit the showers and re-energise for the victory celebration. Re-energise with Lynx Sport Blast." The woman was shown looking admiringly at the man as they left the court. Text stated "KEEP YOUR SPORTY GIRL HAPPY".
Ads on YouTube and Facebook:
a. An ad featured five women with text next to the pictures stating either "HIGH MAINTAINENCE GIRL", "FLIRTY GIRL", "PARTY GIRL", "BRAINY GIRL" and "SPORTY GIRL". Text at the top of the ad stated "WHAT'S YOUR TYPE? CLICK ON A GIRL TO SEE HER FILM. KEEP UP WITH THE LYNX SHOWER GELS".
b. Clicking on "PARTY GIRL" took the user through to an ad similar to VOD ad (b). The voice-over stated, "For a lesson in stamina, observe the boyfriend of the party girl. He won't quit until she does and she's still gyrating like a paint shaker with a broken off-switch. He's been going 12 hours straight, his body moving in ways the male body should never be seen to move. But somehow he matches her step for step. What doesn't kill her makes her stronger, but it might very well kill you. You just need to stay alive for the after, after, after party. She's saving her last bit of energy for a very special thank you to the man who kept her entertained all night long ... Keep going man. She's worth it."
c. Clicking on "HIGH MAINTAINENCE GIRL" went through to an ad similar to VOD ad (c). The voice-over stated, "Gaze upon a legend; the boyfriend of a high maintenance girl. Paying for last night's debauchery with a morning of dress shopping. Yes, you'll carry all her bags, walk her vicious beast fearlessly and even bite your tongue as she makes reservations for brunch. It's not breakfast, it's not lunch, you can't even get a sandwich at ... hang on what does she want now? Something from her purse? Well get it open man! You nail this and she will reward you handsomely. Well done good sir. Take a bow." The man bends down and re-emerges holding a plastic bag containing dog's mess. The voice-over continued, "Okay, that's tough to bear. But the good news is next up on her 'to-do' list is you."
d. Clicking on "BRAINY GIRL" activated an ad similar to VOD ad (d). The voice-over stated, "What poor soul doth I see before me? Tis the boyfriend of a brainy girl. It's Act Six of a seven-hour play in its original language, but does he struggle to stay awake? Does his face betray the abject misery that lies beneath? Look how alert he appears. A better performance than the man on stage ... You feign interest knowing that your ultimate performance is still to come." The man is shown putting drops in his eye causing a tear to roll down his check, which the woman sees. The voice-over continued. "What's that? A tear? Oh! And the award for the best guy who's about to get some, goes to ...You! Bravo!"
e. Clicking on "FLIRTY GIRL" lead to an ad similar to VOD ad (e). This time the woman was shown pressing her hand up against another man's chest, before being shown flirting with another woman. The voice-over stated, "Now there's a real man. No not you. You - boyfriend of a flirty girl. A man who stands calmly by, as his lady works the floor, more touchy-feely than a school trip to a petting zoo. And as her wandering hands make a pilgrimage to chest-le-hem, you're secure enough in your masculinity to hold a drink that would get a lesser man killed in prison. Don't take a sip! Good. Keep it together. With stirred drink in hand you must remain unshaken. Cool and confident in the knowledge that like a sexy chicken she will come home to roost and that not all her flirting is bad flirting." As the other woman reaches out to the man, the voice-over continued, "Touch him. Stay cool with Lynx Cool Metal."
f. Clicking on "SPORTY GIRL" activated an ad similar to VOD ad (f). The voice-over stated, "There he is. Powerful. Fast. Like a cobra with opposable thumbs. He is the boyfriend of a sporty girl. She's a girl who hates losing and as such, he must do anything to help her win. Every ace he serves is a love letter. Every cry of pain from the opposite end of the court, a sonnet. To her there is no greater aphrodisiac than victory. Show her how much she means to you in a way that she'll truly appreciate. With the gift of physical violence and humiliation. Nothing says I love you like breaking the bridge of another man's nose. Now hit the showers and claim your trophy."
Cinema ads:
a. Similar to the ad (d) on YouTube and Facebook. The voice-over stated, "Hark, tis the boyfriend of a brainy girl, expertly staying awake. Courageously feigning interest. A better performance than the man on stage. The man who's taking 30 minutes to die. What's that? A tear? Oh! That will earn you an encore from her you'll never forget. Stay awake with Lynx Rise."
The ad continued with five women fading into shot. The voice-over stated, "Some girls are hard to keep up with, but these girls are in a different league. Party girl, high maintenance girl, brainy girl, flirty girl and sporty girl. You're looking at the hottest of the hot. But which girl do you find most demanding? Cheer for one and we'll play her film. First a quick practice. Show your appreciation for brainy girl!" A clip from the 'brainy girl' ad was shown with a sound meter to detect the level of noise made by the cinema audience. The voice-over continued, "Now let's do this for real. Cheer for the girl you want to see and we'll play the film". The four remaining women were shown individually with flashing text stating "CHEER NOW!" and the sound meter. The voice-over said, "Thanks for voting. And the most demanding girl is ..."
b. The 'party girl' ad was similar to the ad on YouTube and Facebook (b) and VOD (b). The voice-over said, "For a lesson in stamina observe the boyfriend of the party girl. He's been matching her all night moving in ways the male body should never be seen to move, and for keeping up she's got a special thank you for keeping her entertained ..."
c. The 'high maintenance girl' ad was similar to the ad on YouTube and Facebook (c) and VOD (c). The voice-over stated, "Behold the boyfriend of a high maintenance girl paying for last night's debauchery. With a morning of dress shopping, you're carrying her bags and fearlessly walking her vicious beast. This morning you are nailing it, knowing well that the fruits of your labours will soon be in hand." The woman applied lipstick and the voice-over said, "Squeeze them softly."
d. The 'flirty girl' ad was similar to VOD ad (e), but with a slightly different voice-over.
e. The 'sporty girl' ad was similar to VOD ad (f) but ended with the voice-over stating, "Ouch. That's gonna leave a mark. Apologise later. Enjoy victory now."
At the end of the ad chosen by the cinema audience the five women were shown again. The voice-over stated, "You've seen two of the most demanding girls, meet the rest on Facebook."
Issue
Ten complainants saw the ads on VOD, five at the cinema and two on Facebook and YouTube.
1. All 17 complainants considered the ads were sexist, objectified women and were demeaning to women, and challenged whether the ads were offensive.
2. Four of the complainants also challenged whether the ads were offensive, because they portrayed men as sexually obsessed, manipulative and devious.
Response
1. Unilever said Lynx campaigns had become extremely popular over the years for their playful, sexy, tongue-in-cheek take on the "mating game" narrative, with the key theme being the attractiveness of the product to girls. In light of that, they believed audiences had come to expect and be comfortable with the typical narrative, tone and content seen in Lynx advertising.
Unilever said the cinema ads were given a "U" rating, with the exception of Party Girl which was given a "PG" rating. They said two of the VOD executions were given a post 7.30pm timing restriction which they said demonstrated the clearance bodies believed the ads were suitable for viewing by a broad audience.
Unilever believed the ads had been prepared with a sense of responsibility and were unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence. They believed the number of complaints received (17) compared to the number of people who saw the ad - which was 10.4 million impressions across VOD and paid-for online space, and a combined audience of approximately 19 million people at the cinema - was very small. They believed that showed the ads had not caused serious or widespread offence.
Unilever said the premise of the ads was to reflect that everyone was attracted to different "types" of people and that during the early stages of dating, everyone adapted their likes and interests, to some extent, in order to impress their date. The target market for the product was 16- to 24-year-old men and the themes of the ads were approached from their perspective. They believed the women identified in the ads would be understood to be an extremely simplified representation of women with particular interests, rather than a representation of real women. They believed the theme of the ads, in this case, that men were attracted to a particular type and identifying types of women to whom they may be attracted, was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.
Unilever believed it was clear from the ads that the women identified in them were not real, but characters in which an interest has been isolated and exaggerated to comic effect. The women were not depicted in a negative or derogatory way, nor was there any suggestion that they were subservient, exploited, degraded or humiliated. They believed that the power lay with the women through their focus on their own interests to the extent that the men felt they needed to adapt themselves to impress them. They did not believe the ads demeaned women and were therefore unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence on that basis.
Unilever said the imagery used in the ads were not sexual, overly provocative or indecent and noted the overall feel of the ads was cartoonish and therefore, they were unlikely to be seen as objectifying or demeaning women or cause serious or widespread offence on that basis.
Channel 4 explained that VOD ads were ads-elect which meant the ad started with a six- second clip showing all the girls that could appear in the ad: Party Girl, High Maintenance Girl; Flirty Girl; Party Girl, Brainy Girl and Sporty Girl. The ad remained static until one of the girls was selected and the viewer was then taken through to any one of the five clips.
Channel 4 believed the ads were very much in keeping with previous Lynx advertising campaigns. They sought advice from Clearcast, who advised that both the Flirty Girl and Party Girl executions should not be transmitted before 7.30pm, and the remaining ones should not be shown during programmes commissioned for, principally targeted at or likely to appeal to children. Because two of the ads should not be shown before 7.30pm, the ad was only served after 7.30pm and only during programmes that were not restricted to audiences below the age of 16.
Facebook reviewed the ads and were satisfied that they complied with their applications policy.
YouTube said none of the ads would have violated their advertising policies.
2. Unilever did not believe the ads were offensive. The men were shown adapting their behaviour in order to impress their dates which they considered was a normal part of dating and which everyone engaged in, to a greater or lesser extent. They believed the men's behaviour was shown in a highly exaggerated and humorous way, but did not portray men as manipulative or devious. They did not believe the men were shown as being sexually obsessed, but rather that they professed to be more interested in the activity than was really the case in order to impress their date. They did not believe the ads were likely to cause serious or widespread offence.
Assessment
1. Not Upheld
The ASA understood the ads' scenarios were based on the two ideas that people have certain "types" to whom they are attracted and that in the early stages of dating, everyone adapts their behaviour to some extent in order to impress their partner. The women were identified as one of five "types" based on their interests and the viewers or cinema audience (whereby the cinema recorded which ad received the most cheers from the audience) could choose to see an ad based on the "type" of girl in whom they were interested.
Complainants were concerned that the women appeared to be treated as sexual objects which could be "chosen" and their treatment in the ads was degrading. In the context of dating, we considered viewers were likely to see the ads as illustrating that some people were attracted to others with particular traits, characteristics or interests; something with which we considered viewers would be familiar. While the idea of choosing a "type" may be distasteful, in the context of the ads the women were unlikely to be seen as objects and therefore, we considered on that basis, the ads were unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.
The ads were told from the man's perspective of the date and commented on the dynamic of the couple's relationship. However, the women were not depicted in a negative light and they were not shown in an overtly sexual manner. The ads referred to the sexuality of the couple's relationship using innuendo to infer that if the men acted in a certain way they would be rewarded sexually. We recognised that the humour would not be to everyone's taste but we concluded the ads were unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.
On this point, we investigated the ads under CAP Code (Edition 12) rules
1.3
1.3
Marketing communications must be prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and to society.
(Social responsibility),
4.1
4.1
Marketing communications must not contain anything that is likely to cause serious or widespread offence. Particular care must be taken to avoid causing offence on the grounds of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. Compliance will be judged on the context, medium, audience, product and prevailing standards.
Marketing communications may be distasteful without necessarily breaching this rule. Marketers are urged to consider public sensitivities before using potentially offensive material.
The fact that a product is offensive to some people is not grounds for finding a marketing communication in breach of the Code.
(Harm and offence) and
30.3
30.3
Advertising must not prejudice respect for human dignity.
(VOD appendix) but did not find them in breach.
2. Not Upheld
We understood the ads were intended to present an exaggerated view of dating from a male perspective during which the men adapted their behaviour to impress their girlfriends. Some complainants believed the ads portrayed men in a negative light showing them to be sexually obsessed and behaving in a devious and manipulative way.
We noted the ads showed each of the men doing things they may not willingly choose to do in order to impress their girlfriends with the ultimate goal that they would be rewarded sexually. We considered their behaviour in that context would be seen by some viewers as portraying men in a negative light. However, as mentioned above in point one, we considered that humour would not appeal to everyone and that some viewers may find it crass. Nonetheless, we considered the scenarios played out in the ads were unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence to viewers.
On this point, we investigated the ads under CAP Code (Edition 12) rules
1.3
1.3
Marketing communications must be prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and to society.
(Social responsibility),
4.1
4.1
Marketing communications must not contain anything that is likely to cause serious or widespread offence. Particular care must be taken to avoid causing offence on the grounds of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. Compliance will be judged on the context, medium, audience, product and prevailing standards.
Marketing communications may be distasteful without necessarily breaching this rule. Marketers are urged to consider public sensitivities before using potentially offensive material.
The fact that a product is offensive to some people is not grounds for finding a marketing communication in breach of the Code.
(Harm and offence) and
30.3
30.3
Advertising must not prejudice respect for human dignity.
(VOD appendix) but did not find them in breach.
Action
No further action necessary.
