ASA bans adverts over use of Jimmy Savile references

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/jan/09/asa-bans-adverts-jimmy-savile-references

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The advertising watchdog has criticised a magazine and a clothing firm for attempting to drum up business by using images of the late Jimmy Savile in email campaigns, including one which features the disgraced ex-presenter wearing what appears to be underwear while smoking a cigar.

Campaigns by Trailbike & Enduro Magazine (TBM) and clothing company DirtySmart provoked complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority that they were offensive, irresponsible and aiming to exploit the media coverage surrounding the allegations of sexual abuse against Savile.

TBM sent an email promotion to almost 4,000 people enticing them to become a subscriber using an image of Savile last October, just days after the Metropolitan Police launched a formal investigation into 200 sex abuse allegations against him.

In the email, Savile is seen reclining in a leather chair wearing what appears to be only underwear while smoking a cigar. He is clutching a digitally-inserted copy of TBM magazine.

The email ran with the copy "TBM: How's about that then" and the line "the publication that doesn't take itself too seriously".

Magazine owner Extreme Publishing said that TBM had been aiming to "satirise themselves" to imply that they were "culturally naive and had not realised the negative connotations" of publishing the image. The magazine said the image and wording of the email were not distasteful.

DirtySmart sent an email in the runup to Halloween giving recipients the option of two images to click on.

One image, featuring a Halloween pumpkin, directed to a 50% off voucher. The other, a cartoon image of Jimmy Savile's head, was jokingly said to "double the price of everything".

The ASA said advertisers are allowed to use topical news stories to run tactical marketing campaigns, but needed to take particular care of those "involving allegations about the sexual abuse of children, to avoid accusations of exploitation in order to sell products and services".

Both email promotions were banned by the ASA, which ruled that they were insensitive and likely to cause serious offence to some recipients.

The ASA advised both companies to prepare future ad campaigns with "a sense of responsibility to consumers and to society".

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