This controversial billboard advertisement was launched in New Zealand to promote Tongue shoes. The billboard was carrying message that read, ‘In a recent survey, 95% of women said they liked tongue’. Apart from the text, it was showing an image of a casual sports type shoe, with the tongue of the shoe that appeared to be placed between two legs. The Advertising Standards Authority of New Zealand received a complaint from a woman, who alleged that the advertisement had a sexual connotation and was offensive to herself as a woman and as a parent. Four other complaints regarding the same advertisement had expressed similar concerns.
The advertisers had said that the original form has already been modified and the revised text reads, ‘In a recent survey 95% of women said they liked tongue … so tongue shoe store is now selling women’s shoes.’ They further argued that the advertisement intended to be humorous and it did not refer to serious sexual activity.
The ASA Board unanimously ruled that that the advertisement was likely to cause widespread offence and was in breach of Rule 5 of the Code of Ethics. Consequently, the board upholding the complaints placed a ban on the advertisement
