July 02, 2015
Beach Body Ready? Banned!
What is your reaction to this ad?
For hundreds of people in the UK, it caused an uproar. The slender, bikini-clad girl posed the question to onlookers if they were "Beach Body Ready?". But the backlash was phenomenal, with citizens claiming that every body is ready for the beach. There were protests and online petitions among those outraged. The ad was created by Protein World, a supplement company which caters to every kind of customer.
The company stood behind their billboards and refused to apologize to the public for the offence they caused. They implied that the ad was not depicting what they deemed every body should look like. The ads were recently displayed in the US in the bustling heart of Times Square, but angry American complainers are few and far between.
The Advertising Standards Authority weighed in, saying that the ad did not appear to be offensive. They did not find the term "beach body" implying anything harmful, but rather an athletic and active condition. It was later ruled that the ad was unable to continue running, but only because it's weight loss claims were bogus, not due to the issue of body-shaming.
While the head of Protein World's marketing department received numerous threats from angry onlookers, they have stood by the ad as being a great success to them.
What are your thoughts? Is the ad promoting body shaming? Why do you think the ad received more hate in the UK then in the US? Share your thoughts and opinions!
For hundreds of people in the UK, it caused an uproar. The slender, bikini-clad girl posed the question to onlookers if they were "Beach Body Ready?". But the backlash was phenomenal, with citizens claiming that every body is ready for the beach. There were protests and online petitions among those outraged. The ad was created by Protein World, a supplement company which caters to every kind of customer.
The company stood behind their billboards and refused to apologize to the public for the offence they caused. They implied that the ad was not depicting what they deemed every body should look like. The ads were recently displayed in the US in the bustling heart of Times Square, but angry American complainers are few and far between.
The Advertising Standards Authority weighed in, saying that the ad did not appear to be offensive. They did not find the term "beach body" implying anything harmful, but rather an athletic and active condition. It was later ruled that the ad was unable to continue running, but only because it's weight loss claims were bogus, not due to the issue of body-shaming.
While the head of Protein World's marketing department received numerous threats from angry onlookers, they have stood by the ad as being a great success to them.
What are your thoughts? Is the ad promoting body shaming? Why do you think the ad received more hate in the UK then in the US? Share your thoughts and opinions!