Ads watchdog: Er, what does woman in her undies have to do with ‘slim’ phone?

Mobile phone company Kazam has been put on the naughty step by the Advertising Standards Authority after viewers complained its "world's slimmest phone" ad caused offence by overtly sexualising women.

The ASA noted that much of the ad focused entirely on an actor in her underwear, "including scenes that featured several close-up shots that lingered over her breasts, buttocks and lips, which we considered were sexually suggestive".

But the gummy regulator itself spent some time lingering over the ad's details, before ruling it should not appear again in its current form.

The commercial opened with the shot of the back of a woman wearing just her underwear, while walking around a house.

"It then cut to a scene where she ran her finger down her cleavage, bit her lip then moved her hand over her hip and thigh," said the regulator. "She picked up and put on a pair of jeans and the camera showed her buttoning them up. The ad then cut to a close-up of her bottom."

It went on: "She then picked up a shirt which she ironed and a close-up showed the iron moving over the pocket. After she put the shirt on a mobile phone was heard ringing. She searched her jeans pockets before finding it in the shirt pocket. A voice-over then stated 'Introducing the world's slimmest phone.'"

Viewers also complained that the content bore no relationship to the advertised product.

The company said it believed the scenes were not gratuitous or likely to cause offence and had given the ad a restriction that prevented it from being broadcast around programmes likely to be viewed by children. Furthermore, the actor was dressing, not undressing, it said.

The ASA said: "We told Kazam Online Ltd to ensure future ads did not cause offence by objectifying women." ®