My opinion of MInister Tanner has diminished somewhat when I read this. ARTICLE

---- Original Message -----

Dear Mr Stephens

 

Thanks for your email.  Standards in advertising are of concern to many members in the community.  As you are no doubt aware, the Advertising Standards Bureau administers a national system of advertising self-regulation and provides a free public service of complaint resolution.

 

Your complaint would relate to section 2.3 of the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) Code of Ethics which states that Advertising or Marketing Communications shall treat sex, sexuality and nudity with sensitivity to the relevant audience and, where appropriate, the relevant programme time zone.

 

The Advertising Standards Bureau has previously addressed complaints relating to the type of advertisements you have discussed and in several cases, ads have been discontinued because the Bureau has found that they have breached the AANA Code of Ethics.  

 

Case reports are available on the Bureau’s website and I have attached two recently decided cases in which radio advertisements about premature ejaculation have been found to breach the Code and therefore discontinued.

 

Any citizen can complain to the Bureau, and I encourage you to do so in the future, as this is the only way that the Bureau can become aware of problematic advertisements and take action against them.

 

Yours sincerely

Lindsay Tanner MP
Minister for Finance and Deregulation
Federal Member for Melbourne
www.lindsaytanner.com
Watch Lindsay on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbyGVY41BmU

The Advertising Standards Board did deal with complaints about this style of advertising.

The following was sent to me in email attachments, by The Hon Lindsay Tanner MP

( I have highlighted some sentences and headings)

These are two telling sentences further down the page in the first complaint, highlighted in blue.    or  (click here)

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1. Complaint reference number 49/08
2. Advertiser Advanced Medical Institute (Valentine's Day)
3. Product Professional services
4. Type of advertisement Radio
5. Nature of complaint Portrayal of sex/sexuality/nudity – –– section 2.3
6. Date of determination Wednesday, 12 March 2008
7. DETERMINATION Upheld – –– discontinued or modified 

DESCRIPTION OF THE ADVERTISEMENT

This radio advertisement features a female voice relating "Great Sex.

 This Valentine's Day thousands of Australian women are going to get great sex, something they haven't had for years and it will be all thanks to AMI’s Nasal Delivery Technology. So guys, if your doodle's been jumping the gun - --make the call to AMI because if you don't fix the problem it is only going to get worse.

 Call AMI now on 1800 30 30 10 thats 1800 30 30 10 and give her the gift that goes on and on and on..."

THE COMPLAINT

A sample of comments which the complainant/s made regarding this advertisement included the following:

"I have 8 and 10 year old children in the car constantly as we have to drive to and from school/sport. I shouldn't have to explain to them what erection problems are and sex, it is offensive especially going through the motions with the sound effects."

" This ad is making all parents subject their kids to sexual concepts way beyond their innocent years, just because we want the radio on when we jump in the car."

"I have a nine year old son who is repeatedly chastised and punished for discussing sex, penises, doodles etc at school."

"A female voice in part says "..if your doodle is jumping the gun ..." -
--the phrase is demeaning & belittling to men. "

"My major concern regarding this advertisment is the terminology, regarding the penis".

"DOODLE refers to a name that children may use. This ad was on a time slot that children frequent in the car, namely after school." 

"Children are subjected to a lot via the media and if sexual
advertisements can aired in schools hours this would be appropriate."

THE ADVERTISER’S RESPONSE

Comments which the advertiser made in response to the complaint/s regarding this advertisement included the following:

The ad does not breach Section 2 of the Code -
--I cannot see how this ad breaches any of the issues raised under s2.3 
--the ad is not in any way vulgar or sexually explicit. 

The ad does not use any obscene language or content.

We submit that the ad complies with the Standards as set by the AANA.

THE DETERMINATION


The Advertising Standards Board (“Board”) considered whether this advertisement breaches 1. Complaint reference number 49/08
2. Advertiser Advanced Medical Institute (Valentine's Day)
3. Product Professional services
4. Type of advertisement Radio
5. Nature of complaint Portrayal of sex/sexuality/nudity –
–– section 2.3
6. Date of determination Wednesday, 12 March 2008 

7. DETERMINATION Upheld –
–– discontinued or modified.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE ADVERTISEMENT

This radio advertisement features a female voice relating "Great Sex. This Valentine's Day
thousands of Australian women are going to get great sex, something they haven't had for years and it
will be all thanks to AMI’s Nasal Delivery Technology. So guys, if your doodle's been jumping the
gun -
--make the call to AMI because if you don't fix the problem it is only going to get worse. Call
AMI now on 1800 30 30 10 thats 1800 30 30 10 and give her the gift that goes on and on and on..."

THE COMPLAINT 
programme time zone.

As the advertisement was a radio advertisement, the Board noted that no listening time classifications existed. 

The Board further noted that the advertisement had been heard right throughout the day.

 The Board considered that the language used in the advertisement and in particular the use of ‘doodle’, represented language used by children and that as a result the advertisement was inviting kids listening to the advertisement to ask parents what the advertisement
was about and that parents may feel uncomfortable about having to explain the advertisement.

If the advertisement had only been broadcast after 8.30 at night on the relevant radio stations, the Board considered that the portrayal of sex and sexuality in the advertisement would not have offended the Code. 

However, given that the advertisement could and was broadcast at all times of the day and night, the portrayal of sex and sexuality was inappropriate considering that the audience listening to the advertisement may include children.

The Board therefore upheld the complaint.

ADVERTISER'S RESPONSE TO DETERMINATION

Comments which the advertiser made in response to the determination regarding this advertisement
included the following:

The advertisement has been discontinued.



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1. Complaint reference number 4/07
2. Advertiser Advanced Medical Institute (Jingle Bells)
3. Product Professional services
4. Type of advertisement Radio
5. Nature of complaint Portrayal of sex/sexuality/nudity – section 2.3
6. Date of determination Tuesday, 13 February 2007
7. DETERMINATION Upheld – discontinued or modified
DESCRIPTION OF THE ADVERTISEMENT

There are various advertisements in this series:

A Santa-style voiceover stops the tune "Jingle bells" to announce "Ho Ho Ho HOLD it right there! 

It takes me all night to deliver the goods...It should take YOU that long to deliver in the bedroom!

So if premature ejaculation is putting you in your partner's bad books...It's time to get yourself some nasal delivery technology from AMI. Christmas in Australia should be HOT! Ring... and get your
jollies all night!"

A male voiceover asks "Shopping vouchers...French perfume...a lawn mower...Nasal Delivery Technology... Which one do you and your partner REALLY want this Christmas? 

Arriving too early in the bedroom doesn't have to control your life. You'll have a lot more fun this Christmas and New year if you can last longer in bed.

 Don't last a minute or so. 

Last all holidays!"

Two versions of songs feature the tune of "Jingle bells" as a male group sings "Dashing in your bed,  won't make your Christmas bright. Call up AMI and keep her up all night -hey! 

Being premature in the bedroom really sucks. Nasal spray delivery will give you back some luck... 

Oh AMI, AMI, don't be fast, be slow. 1800 40 40 80 that's the go -WOAH! AMI AMI give her cheeks a glow...1800 40
40 80, that's the goooooo!"

"Dashing in your bed won't make your Christmas bright. Call up AMI and keep her up all night -hey! You know premature ejaculation sucks...Nasal spray delivery will give you back some luck".

THE COMPLAINT

A sample of comments which the complainant/s made regarding this advertisement included the
following:

"The ads have now been put to Chrismas Carols. Is nothing sacred anymore? I am not a religious person, but it's Christmas. I find it degrading and repulsive... "

"I find this ad offensive, and today it hit an all time low and the ad was in the form of a Christmas jingle. Would you like to hear 6 year olds walking around singing jingles about premature
ejaculation? "

THE ADVERTISER’S RESPONSE

Comments which the advertiser made in response to the complaint/s regarding this

advertisement
included the following:

The ads do not breach any of the issues under Section 2 of the AANA Advertising Code of Ethics.

THE DETERMINATION


The Advertising Standards Board (“Board”) considered whether this advertisement breaches

Section
2 of the Advertiser Code of Ethics (the “Code”).
“Board”) considered whether this advertisement breaches Section
2 of the Advertiser Code of Ethics (the “Code”).

The Board listened to the advertisements and considered whether they breached section 2.3 of the Code dealing with the sensitive treatment of sex, sexuality and nudity. 

The Board noted the complainants' comments that the advertisement was offensive.

The Board noted the use of Jingle Bells, a popular children's Christmas carol, with sexual terminology.

 The Board also noted the particular language used in the advertisements including "premature ejaculation sucks".

While the Board accepted that the advertisements were clearly not targetting children, the children's Christmas tune was likely to draw children's attention to the advertisement and to the sexual language
therein. 

The Board took note of the complaints from parents whose children had noticed the advertisement and acknowledged that the advertisement invited kids listening to the advertisement to
ask parents what the advertisement was about and that parents may feel uncomfortable about having to explain the advertisement. 

The Board took also took the view that the particular references to
premature ejaculation in this advertisement were not sensitive to the likely audience which, in the context of a christmas carol, would be more likely to include children.

In view of the above, the Board concluded that the advertisements did not treat sexuality with adequate sensitivity to the audience and hence breached Section 2.3 of the code.

Finding that the advertisement breached the Code, the Board upheld the complaint upheald.

The ads have been discontinued and will NOT be aired again.



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All very well, but by the time they are taken off, the ads have done their job.

There needs to be tighter regulations to stop inappropriate ads before they are aired.

This I think is the most important line in this page

"As the advertisement was a radio advertisement, the Board noted that no listening time classifications existed."