Pubes more offensive than ntl ad – just • The Register

Pubes more offensive than ntl ad – just

Sadly no room for 'short and curlies' gag

By Tim Richardson • Get more from this author

Posted in Music and Media, 24th April 2001 15:50 GMT

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Cableco and ISP, ntl, was responsible for publishing one of the most complained-about adverts of last year according to the annual report from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

The advert - part of a direct mail campaign for "a free Internet service" - was fourth in a list of adverts that drew the most complaints from the British public.

Of the three ads that beat it, one included a picture of a naked woman, another featured a ginger-haired family and the third showed a picture of a bikini-clad red-head inspecting her pubic hair.

Commenting on the complaint against ntl, which the advertising watchdog upheld, the ASA said: "Recipients of a direct mail campaign for a free Internet service objected to the fact that they could not receive the service. The ASA upheld the complaints, asking the advertiser not to advertise the service until it could be supplied to all applicants within a reasonable time"

The ASA received some 175 complaints about the ad. By comparison, 217 complained about the pubic hair-inspecting lass, 219 whinged about the ginger-haired family while 948 said the naked image of a woman advertising perfume was simply unacceptable.

No one was available to comment from ntl in time. ®