Bold real estate ad calling businesses to ‘expose yourself’ on busy North Sydney road sparks rage

A heated debate has erupted over a bold ad on a busy North Sydney road, with some accusing the post as encouraging a “gateway violent act”.

A bold marketing ploy from a real estate agent has caused uproar after a cheeky pun about flashing left locals divided.

The ad, erected on the fence of an empty block in Sydney’s Neutral Bay, has ruffled the feathers of some members of the community for calling on prospective businesses to ‘expose yourself’.

The ad calls on businesses to “expose yourself” on the corner location. Picture: Facebook

The large board stands on the fence of Falcon Street, a main outbound arterial road from Sydney’s North Shore, which is passed by about 50,000 cars each day.

Printed on the board, behind the call to “expose yourself”, is a man, seen from behind, wearing dark socks, dark shoes, and a trench coat held open as though ‘flashing’ someone.

It seems to have caught the attention of locals for all the wrong reasons, with Mosman community member Stacey Edmonds calling out the ad for trivialising sexual aggression.

“I know they probably think this is clever and funny. But it’s not,” she wrote on the Mosman Living Facebook group.

“Flashing is a criminal offence as it is proven to be a ‘gateway violent act’.

“I just feel the need to write ‘please don’t’ across [the sign].”

A woman in the Mosman Living group took issue with the sign, threatening to take action against its bold content. Picture: Facebook.

Ms Edmonds also took to LinkedIn to share the “#AdvertisingFauxPas”, writing that “flashing isn’t a trivial matter” to make light of.

“It’s a sexual offence, and importantly, experts warn it leads to escalating crimes against women because it is an act of sexual aggression, not a ‘get-it-out-and-shake-it-all-about-willy-joke’,” she added.

She said the ad was a reminder that the “fight against sexual crimes” also involves “the normalisation of such criminal sexual acts depicted on real estate billboards!”

Her posts sparked a heated debate about whether the ad was appropriate or not, with a number of people in the Mosman Living group saying it has done what it intended to do: “cause a reaction”.

“It is a funny ad, but I do get your point,” another woman replied, adding that flashing “is

a reference that shouldn’t be used in a public space in this way, agreed.”

“I can think of several situations where men have exposed themselves to me in public, this one is by far the nicest!” another woman wrote.
A third person said: “This is not clever advertising, it is desperate. If you need to sink that low then rethink your advertising agency.”

The ad (which can be seen on Google Maps) sits on the corner of Falcon Street in Neutral Bay, which is passed by about 50,000 cars each day. Picture: Google Maps.

The ad was placed by Prosel, a boutique online real estate agency, whose director and owner Abdul Moussalli told news.com.au he had never had any issues with the image before.

“I’ve used that particular background in a different way, on a digital screen in one of my offices and on a major road in Kingsgrove,” Mr Moussalli said.

He said he has received positive feedback about the sign board.

“I’m sorry if she feels offended but it’s not meant to offend anyone, it’s just business marketing,” he added.

“It’s saying expose your business at this address, expose yourself at this location for business exposure, if you know the location you know it’s passed by tens of thousands of cars each day.”

Mr Moussalli said he did not have to get any approval for the sign because “it’s on our fence”.

Ms Edmonds sent a message to Mr Moussalli asking him to get rid of the sign.

“Best case scenario the space is rented and the ad is removed,” she wrote in the message, seen by news.com.au.

“If the ad is not removed by Friday this week [December 8] I will make a formal complaint.”

Mr Moussalli repeated his apology for causing any offence caused by the sign to those who feel the sign is “inappropriate”, but said this in the two months it has been standing, this is the first time the image has sparked backlash.

“No one has ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, said anything about that photo.”

Flashing, also known in Australia as “obscene exposure” refers to when someone exposes their genitalia in a public place.

If a person is found guilty of obscene exposure, they can be fined or sentenced to varying prisonsentences – up to two years – and possibly be listed on a sex offence register.

Originally published as Bold real estate ad calling businesses to ‘expose yourself’ on busy North Sydney road sparks rage