‘Exploitative’ boob ad banned by watchdog
FIRM OVER WATCHDOG RAPS COSMETIC SURGERY CAMPAIGN ‘IRRESPONSIBLE’ BREAST ENLARGEMENT
A COSMETIC surgery company with a branch in Newcastle has allegedly boobed over an advert for getting bigger breasts.
MYA was the subject of a complaint to advertising watchdogs after a complainant said it exploited young women’s insecurities about body image.
The Advertising Standards Authority upheld the complaint about a TV ad in which customers chatted about surgery.
Watchdogs said the ad was irresponsible and harmful.
They said it relied too heavily on women’s poor perception of their bodies if they did not go under the knife.
MYA is based in Harrogate but has branches all over the country including one at the Quayside.
The ASA adjudication said: “The ad must not appear again in its current form.
“We told MYA Cosmetic Surgery Ltd not to advertise cosmetic surgery in an irresponsible and harmful way by focusing disproportionately on people’s negative perceptions of their bodies prior to cosmetic surgery.”
The ad featured four separate conversations between different women who had recently undergone breast-enhancement surgery.
The first one featured two women wearing bikinis in a jacuzzi with one of them saying: “I can’t believe I used to be so nervous about wearing a bikini in public. Now I feel fine.”
Similar conversations were held between women on treadmills, in the changing room, and in a cafe.
The ASA adjudication said of the ad: “Some of the women appeared to be under the age of 25, and so could appeal, and be of relevance, to young women and teenage girls.
“The women discussed the negative perceptions they held of their breasts prior to cosmetic surgery, with comments that their breasts were previously “saggy”, “out of proportion” and “of different sizes”.
“One of them also referred to the negative feelings generated due to her perception of her breasts, with the comment “I was so selfconscious until I had them done”.
“We considered that the ad has disp r o p o r t i o n a t e l y emphasised the women’s negative feelings and the impact that had had on them.
“It had suggested that women who did not have a particular body type should not feel confident and comfortable with their bodies in public.
“We were therefore concerned that the ad might encourage viewers, particularly young women and teenage girls, to think about and dwell on their own insecurities with their bodies.
“As such, we concluded that the ad was irrespon- sible and likely to cause harm to those under 18.”
A spokeswoman for MYA, which stands for “Make Yourself Amazing”, defended the ad.
She said on-screen text made it clear that decision to have cosmetic surgery was not to be taken lightly. metic surgery. “However, the ad features on-screen text which emphasizes that surgical procedures are not without risk, and that the decision to have cosmetic surgery should not be made quickly or lightly. “We would like to reinforce that the voiceover makes clear that the ad is directed at those who have already been thinking about having this procedure for a while. “The text and voiceover are intended to prevent viewers from rushing into cosmetic surgery and they would be unlikely to interpret the ad as suggesting that breast enlargement was the solution for body confidence issues.” MYA said they had only used patients who were over 21, but looked as if they were 25, to ensure the ad did not appeal to women below 18. In addition the ad was not screened during children’s programmes, they said. Three years ago a complaint about an MYA ad for liposuction was upheld after watchdogs said it trivialised the procedure.