Breast enhancement advert banned from TV after ASA deem it ‘irresponsible’

'The ad was likely to have exploited new mothers' insecurities about their bodies'

A TV advert for breast enhancement surgery has been banned after viewers accused it of targeting the body insecurities of new mothers.

Transform’s 30-second-long ad featured 34-year-old Lou Newton, who had recently undergone breast enlargement surgery.

The clip shows Newton shopping, exercising and swimming while describing how the surgery helped her revert to her pre-pregnancy figure.

After viewers complained, the Advertising Standards Authority conducted an investigation that ultimately led to a decision to ban, ruling the ad “irresponsible”.

In the advert, a female voice-over describes how she struggled to get fit after giving birth.

“I lost the weight but I lost my chest too. I just thought, I'm gonna do something about it,” she said.

“So I had breast surgery with Transform. It's not something I think about now. I just get on and enjoy my life and I love being able to wear what I want.”

Viewers claimed that the ad was misleading in its advocation of surgery as a way to boost body confidence after having a child, an argument which the ASA ruling supports.

“We considered that new mothers who had recently given birth and experienced significant changes in their body shape could be particularly vulnerable to a breast enhancement surgery ad directed at them,” they said in a written statement.

“We considered that by directing the ad at new mothers and focusing on the negative perception a new mother had of her body after giving birth, the ad was likely to have exploited new mothers' insecurities about their bodies.

“We therefore concluded that the ad was irresponsible.”

It’s not the first time the cosmetic surgery brand has been embroiled in an advertising scandal.

In July 2016, another Transform advert was deemed as damaging to teenagers and subsequently banned by the ASA.

It featured 21-year-old blogger Sarah Ashcroft explaining how plastic surgery made her “10 times more confident” than before.

Ashcroft had more than 500,000 followers on Instagram at the time and the ad was ultimately banned for associating breast enlargement surgery with success and popularity.

In response to the ASA's latest ruling, Transform have provided the following statement:

“Transform has contested the Advertising Standards Authority’s decision. In our response to the ASA, we said that the advert was based purely on Lou’s own, personal experience and therefore there was no suggestion that her experience would be a solution for all new mothers, nor did it trivialise the decision to undergo surgery.

"We are therefore disappointed by the ASA’s decision, and have made this clear to the organisation."