Tradie body wash ad pulled over boombox in bath

A cheeky body wash ad featuring a pair of popular Instagram comedians has been pulled from the air after numerous complaints.

A body wash ad featuring Instagram stars The Inspired Unemployed has been pulled from the air over “a dangerous suggestion of fun”.

The ad, for Tradie body wash, shows the two videomakers sitting in a bath together as one begins scrubbing his hair with the soap. A muffled sound can be heard after he pushes on the pump bottle before the second man pulls a boom box out of the water.

Complaints about the ad were lodged to industry watchdog Ad Standards, with some concerned children would copy the behaviour with a plugged-in stereo.

“This ad shows two guys sharing a bubble bath during the ad,” one complainant wrote. “One man gropes around the bottom of the bath and gleefully pulls up a radio/ghetto blaster?

“Very dangerous putting any items like this in a bath … poor example for young people. Dangerous suggestion of fun in my opinion.”

A response to Ad Standards from Tradie did not address the safety concerns but said the Instagram duo tested well with its audience, who are “mums who do the body wash purchasing for their families at the supermarket” and “Australian families – in particular males aged 18-36 who need to relate to the brand as something they would use”.

A body wash ad featuring Instagram stars The Inspired Unemployed has been pulled from the air. Picture: YouTube

After the panel ruled the ad could encourage children to put an electrical item in the bath, the brand pointed out the boombox was battery operated, lessening the risk.

Ad Standards ruled against separate complaints that the ad breached decency standards by placing two men in the bath together in an advertisement shown during children’s programming, noting there was no sexual innuendo and that bathing together is common for children who would not see it as a sexual act.

But the panel noted the man in the bathtub using the boombox was the focus of the ad and found standards relating to safety had been breached as there was no indication or suggestion the behaviour was unsafe.

“Although the use of a ghetto blaster, which is not plugged in, in a bathtub may not itself be dangerous, the panel considered that the depiction of the use of such equipment in water undermines public messages about safe use of electrical appliances around water,” the panel’s findings read.

“In the panel’s view the use of electrical equipment in and around water is unsafe and there is significant effort made in the community to educate people about such dangers.

‘The panel determined that the depiction of behaviour which is contrary to clear public safety messaging is contrary to prevailing community standards on safety.”

A statement from Tradie after the decision said the brand was “disappointed” the complaints around safety were upheld “given it was battery operated”.

“We accept the panel‘s findings and will discontinue use of this advert immediately,” the statement read.

The ad was found to breach ad standards around safety, as it showed two men with an electrical device in the bathtub. Picture: YouTube