Sex, sexuality and nudity

This information provides a general overview of Ad Standards Community Panel determinations on complaints about sex, sexuality and nudity.

It is designed to assist the advertising industry, the self-regulatory body, consumers and others interested in ensuring that advertising does not breach the AANA Code of Ethics or community standards in relation to matters of sex, sexuality and nudity.

It is not a “how to” guide, nor does it cover all situations which require care in understanding elements of sex, sexuality and nudity.

Relevant section of the AANA Code of Ethics:

2.4 Advertising or Marketing Communications shall treat sex, sexuality and nudity with sensitivity to the relevant audience.

Definitions

Relevant audience is informed by the media placement plan and content of the advertising or marketing communication. It requires the Community Panel to examine the media plan (formal or informal). It is the audience that the advertiser intends to see the advertising or marketing communication. The Community Panel shall have regard to the audience or readership composition data for the relevant media. For example, OzTAM data can be used to inform the Community Panel that the relevant audience for commercial free to air and subscription television is grocery buyers between the ages of 20 and 35. In the case of social media, the Community Panel should have regard to the opt-in nature of the medium and the age-gating which may apply to some social media sites in determining the relevant audience.

Broad view of “audience” taken by the Community Panel. For the purposes of advertisements in public places, the Community Panel will not only take account of the relevant audience, but it can also take a broad view of the “audience”. This recognises the broad nature of the audience for advertisements in public places. The Community Panel will not just have regard to whom the advertisement is targeted (the relevant audience) but also looks at who can see it and will take that into consideration in determining their view of whether the advertisement treats sex, sexuality and nudity with sensitivity to that audience.

Level of community concern

Community concern about the portrayal of sex, sexuality and nudity in advertising has been reflected in complaints to Ad Standards.

In 2020 sex, sexuality and nudity accounted for 32.29 per cent of complaints to Ad Standards.

Ad Standards commissioned research into this issue and published a comprehensive research report on the matter in 2010.

Further information

For more information see the AANA Code of Ethics: Practice Note and the newly published guide to overtly sexual imagery in advertising.