MediaTel

The ASA has refused to uphold almost 200 complaints against a national press ad for Easyjet that featured a woman in a bikini next to the headline "Discover weapons of mass distraction".

The watchdog launched an investigation into the ad for the budget airline after 186 people complained it was demeaning to women and trivialised the recent war in Iraq.

Easyjet argued the ad was the latest in a series of topical, humorous and irreverent ads and pointed out that the number of complaints was small in proportion to the number of readers that would have seen the ad. The airline also claimed to have received positive feedback from both male and female consumers.

The Evening Standard, which ran the ad, said it was a witty play on a phrase in common usage and did not trivialise the war in Iraq. The Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph said they had received four complaints, but claimed the vast majority of their readers had seen the ad as humorous and had not been offended. The Sun said it has a very positive response to the ad from its readers.

The ASA considered the ad to be light hearted and humorous. It claimed the phrase "weapons of mass distraction" was distasteful, but concluded it did not trivialise the deaths, injuries, or plight of those involved in or affected by the conflict in Iraq. The complaints were dismissed.

Last month the European Commission's plans to outlaw sex discrimination in advertising and the media were condemned by British advertisers. The IPA described the proposal, which could put an end to advertising that fails to "respect human dignity" and outlaw television programmes that stereotype men and women, as "baffling" (see Plans To Ban Sexist Advertising Are Condemned).

ASA: 020 7580 5555 www.asa.org.uk

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