'Offensive' Lynx posters banned by watchdog

Six raunchy adverts for Lynx-branded men's toiletries have been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after attracting more than 100 complaints.

A poster for Lynx shower gel and five internet adverts for Lynx Dry Full Control deodorant must not be displayed in their current form after they were found to be degrading to women and likely to cause widespread offence.

The shower gel advert, which was circulated in July, attracted 113 complaints. The poster depicted a bikini-clad woman under a shower at a beach, with the headline: "The cleaner you are the dirtier you get."

The ASA said the poster "was likely to cause serious or widespread offence", particularly to members of the public accompanied by children, because it objectified women.

A summer internet advert campaign for Lynx Dry Full Control deodorant which featured Lucy Pinder in a series of provocative poses also attracted 15 complaints.

The five adverts, which were shown on sites including Yahoo, Hotmail and Spotify, showed the glamour model eating an ice lolly, stripping wallpaper or bending over an oven door.

The ASA concluded that the adverts were degrading to women and irresponsible because they had been placed on two websites, Rotten Tomatoes and Anorak, which "were not protected through age verification or other similar targeting".

A spokesman for Lynx said: "As an advertiser we strive to be responsible and observe strict guidelines for all brand communications. Lynx adverts often provoke diverse reactions and opinions but it is never our intention to cause offence."

PA