Bras N Things forced to pull Playboy lingerie ad after complaints it resembled ‘amateur porn’

IT HAS been described as “vulgar”, “amateur porn” and “unsuitable for the young”. So does this ad cross a moral boundary?

LINGERIE retailer Bras N Things is embroiled in a storm in a D-cup after it was forced to pull a campaign video down due to its overtly explicit content.

The video, which played in Bras N Things stores, featured 2011 Australia’s Next Model contestant Simone Holtznagel and showed her posing in a series of sexual positions — described as “amateur porn” in complaints — where she flaunted the latest Playboy lingerie.

The campaign, which resembles a Playboy ad, also features close ups of Ms Holtznagel’s body wearing the lingerie.

A series of complaints to the Australian Advertising Standards Bureau forced the retailer to pull the ads, claiming the instore screens were so large, seeing it was “unavoidable”.

“This was in an ordinary public place, with children and families there, why should they be confronted with it in a shopping mall,” read one complaint.

“It was vulgar, unsuitable for the young and simply demeaning for any woman walking past.”

Another read: “They were not merely modelling the underwear, they were moving suggestively, gyrating and looking lasciviously at the camera — like a very amateur porn movie.

“It was a demeaning and embarrassing display.”

Complaints said this Playboy lingerie ad was ‘vulgar’.

Bras N Things told the Advertising Standards Board that it would remove the video as an act of ‘good faith’.

Bras N Things declined to make a comment when contacted by news.com.au, but according to the complaint, the retailer received “very little feedback from customers” and “does not feel that it has breached any advertising standards”.

As a matter of “respect” to shopping centres, the video would be replaced with pictures instead in an act of “good faith”.

“The video advertisement is playing on digital screens in our store window in limited stores. There is no sound with the video, it is imagery only,” the retailer said.

Is this ad soft porn?

Yet the ASB failed to agree with the retailer, citing the “manner in which the lingerie is model by the woman is sexualised”.

“The silent, moving image draws the eye of passers-by” while “the model is stroking her hair and her moving her body suggestively and that this amounts to a sexualised impact”.

Meanwhile, Ms Holtznagel posted a lengthy rant on Instagram hitting back at the critics who claimed the ad was soft porn.

“Shout out to the prude who complained about my ‘vulgar’ and ‘amateur porn’ advertisement for the amazing Australian brand Bras N Things, and had the clip banned,” she wrote.

“Honestly, it’s just soooo offensive to show a confident, sexy WOMAN in her LINGERIE in the window of a (plot twist) — LINGERIE STORE!!!! Won’t somebody please think of the children?! I mean it’s just truly outrageous.

“How dare you sexualise my body. How dare- after all society’s requests, you take a confident and carefree depiction of a normal, healthy womanly body, promoting women’s products to women, and deem it offensive.

“Do not impress your insecurities on me, whether physical or sexual.”

The collection, according to Bras N Things, “features caging effects and strapping to create unique shapes on body” while “the innovating bunny boost plunge double push up bra” is available in cup sizes up to E.

The campaign ceased in July, and Bras N Things says it is confident the “video footage will not be used again”.

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