An advert from a sex toy retailer Lovehoney that referenced Prince Harry’s memoir Spare has been banned after a complaint. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received a complaint from one person that said the advert was offensive and inappropriate for display. The billboard had large text reading: “Silence is golden, Harry”. In smaller text, it said: “Spare ball gags available at https://lovehoney.co.uk.”
The billboard was placed at Clapham Junction train station in London on February 8 – with the complainant claiming it was unsuitable for children to see.
It has since been banned following this complaint.
Lovehoney argued that the ad was not offensive, adding it was in response to Harry’s tell-all memoir which spoke of “a number of indiscreet revelations, some of which had a sexual reference”.
When the ad was first published, the company said it “was meant to be humorous and that not all family stories needed to be shared with the public”.
The company – that sells sex toys – also said children would not be able to recognise the ball gag as a sex toy, with it having no explicit sexual references.
The ASA understood a ball gag was a sex toy placed in a partner’s mouth to prevent speech.
They said while it was unlikely to offend, some people may find it “distasteful”.
The advertising company said: “We, therefore, considered that the ad was inappropriate for outdoor display where it could be seen by children. We concluded that the ad had been irresponsibly targeted.”
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Lovehoney has come under fire in the past for creating risqué adverts.
In 2018, four people reaching an orgasm featured in their UK TV ad.
And in 2011, the first pre-watershed avert for sex toys was pulled by ITV.
The advertisement featured a couple kissing before leaving for work.
