Diesel ad considered too lewd

Jeans and apparel company Diesel has received complaints about one of its advertisements. The ad features a naked man, shown from behind, with three pairs of women’s legs wrapped around him. According to the complaints, the image suggests sexual behaviour which is offensive and unsuitable for children, should they happen to see it.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has announced on its website that Diesel has pulled the ad and that its last appearance was in The Sunday Times Style Magazine. The company also said that Style Magazine was a leader in the fashion industry and enjoyed adult readership which would be challenged by the ad and be amused by the “irony and fun it represented”.

Diesel said that the aim of the ad was to show how it challenged the view of daily life. The Sunday Times Style Magazine said the ad was well designed and photographed within a fashion context. Diesel also added that because the ad had already been featured in other publications they deemed it appropriate and acceptable.

The ASA maintains that the ad is unsuitable and would cause wide spread offence were to continue allowing its publication.