Advertisers must not use sexual appeal in a manner which is exploitative or degrading of any individual or group, or where images of minors are used.
Section 2.2 of the AANA Code of Ethics states:
Advertising or Marketing Communications shall not employ sexual appeal:
(a) where images of Minors, or people who appear to be Minors, are used; or
(b) in a manner which is exploitative or degrading of any individual or group of people.
In ads where minors (or people who appear to be minors) are used, sexual appeal is harmful, not acceptable and will always be regarded as a breach of the Code of Ethics.
Exploitative means taking advantage of the sexual appeal of a person, or group of people, by depicting them as objects or commodities; or focussing on their body parts where this bears no relevance to the product or service being advertised.
Degrading describes content which lowers in character or quality a person, or group of persons.
For more detail and guidance on the portrayal of people in advertising read the AANA Code of Ethics: Practice Note.
Examples of previous decisions
Sexualised depictions of children
The Community Panel has found a breach of Section 2.2 (Exploitative or Degrading) of the Code of Ethics in the following cases:
The Community Panel found the following ads did not breach Section 2.2 (Exploitative or Degrading) of the Code of Ethics:
- Children modelling children’s clothing, where the poses of the children are natural and not sexualised, will not be considered to employ sexual appeal.
Exploitative or degrading depictions of adults
The Community Panel has found a breach of Section 2.2 (Exploitative or Degrading) of the Code of Ethics in the following cases:
- Portraying women as commodities or objects to possess is seen to be exploitative.
- Focusing on a body part that bears no relevance to the product or service provided is exploitative.
- Reducing a woman to a single part of her body and suggesting that she is property or that she exists for the enjoyment of others is exploitative and degrading.
- Advertising lingerie can breach this Section of the Code if the ad suggests that the woman is the product, rather than the lingerie.
- Honey Birdette – 0124/19
- Honey Birdette – 0124/19
- Depicting a model in a lingerie ad in an overly sexualised pose can be exploitative and can breach the code.
The Community Panel found the following ads did not breach Section 2.2 (Exploitative or Degrading) of the Code of Ethics:
- Depicting attractive men shirtless or naked if they are not depicted in an overly sexualised manner and their genitals are covered – is unlikely to be found to be exploitative or degrading especially when the nudity is relevant to the product or situation.
- Using attractive models in ads where the women are not in poses or situations which are exploitative and degrading.
- Using attractive models in costumes associated with brands or products being sold when they are portrayed in a positive light is not considered exploitative or degrading.
- Portraying women and men in consensual sexual poses are not considered degrading, however may breach other Sections of the Code.
- Yum Restaurants International – 0130-20
- Yum Restaurants International – 0130-20
- Focusing on the parts of women associated with the product they are promoting is reasonable, and it is not exploitative or degrading to do so if the model is not in a sexualised pose.
- Depicting men admiring or commenting on the attractiveness of a woman is not seen as exploitative or degrading if that woman is shown in a positive light and is appreciative of the attention.
- Using images of scantily clad women is reasonable in the promotion of adult venues or products, as long as there are no exposed nipples or genitals, and poses are not strongly sexualised.
- Depicting women in the product that is being promoted is reasonable, if the women are fully covered by their underwear and they are not posed in a provocative manner or in a manner suggestive of sexual activity.