The company behind a tampon ad that caused outrage in the transgender community said they ditched it as a result of the criticism and regret any offence it caused.
The Libra ad, which appeared on TV, Facebook and YouTube, showed a woman and a drag queen side by side in a restroom preening in front of a mirror.
They sneak glances at each other while they get competitive about putting on their mascara, lipgloss and adjusting their bras.
In an apparent coup de grace the blonde pulls out a tampon and the drag queen walks out in disgust.
The ad prompted a storm of criticism when it started broadcasting in December and several people complained to the Advertising Standards Authority.
Critics said it portrayed a negative stereotype of transgender women, advocated sexism and transphobia by suggesting transgender women were not real women, and implied that if you did not menstruate you were not a woman.
In response, the advertiser, SCA Hygiene Australasia, said the ad was meant to be funny and was in no way intended to discriminate against or vilify drag queens or transvestites.
The ad was pulled from TV, cinema and a print version from magazines and bathrooms.
In a finding released today the ASA complaints board said the advertiser had been very responsive to the criticism and ruled the matter settled.
