Breast cancer advertisement ruled ok

Geraldine Brophy
Geraldine Brophy
A complaint about an advertisement for the Breast Cancer Foundation which described women's breasts as sexual objects has been dismissed by the Advertising Standards Authority.

The controversial television advertisement for the Breast Cancer Foundation featured actress Geraldine Brophy holding a series of pictures of women's breasts in front of her. The images showed various changes that could occur in breasts.

In the ad Brophy says: "It's not just lumps we need to look out for. Skin like orange peel of changes to the nipple could also be a sign of breast cancer."

"Get to know the signs at anychanges.co.nz and if there are any changes, see your doctor."

One of the complaints about the ad, submitted by a woman named in the Advertising Standards Authority's (ASA) decision only as S Cook stated:

"I cannot understand why at this time of night during school holidays while teens are off school and stay up later you would air an advertisement like this at this time of night!

"I do not see any reason for this to be so explicit...you are targeting women in this advert and we know what our breasts look like I feel violated by this advert and embarrassed when I am sitting in a room with young guys watching a film."

Other complainants shared similar views to Ms Cook, with one complainant saying women's breasts were sexual objects and that the advertisement should have had a warning.

However the authority's complaints board chairwoman Jenny Robson disagreed with the complainants' concerns the images of women's breasts were too explicit and unnecessary for the breast cancer campaign, saying the images illustrated the changes that could occur to breast skin and nipples and emphasised women needed to be vigilant for these signs as well as breast lumps.

Ms Robson also noted the advertisement had played during adults-only viewing time which was in line with its classification and subsequently ruled that there were no grounds for the complaint to proceed.

It was the second time that the ad, which was modelled on a highly successful Scottish campaign, has courted controversy.

The Breast Cancer Foundation was forced to remake the ad with women's breasts strategically obscured by objects such as flower pots, cupcakes and balloons after the Commercial Approvals Bureau warned it remaking the original would mean it would only be able to run after 8.30pm.

An earlier complaint to the authority complained that the re-made ad portrayed women as if they were "ashamed of their bodies" but was also dismissed.

The original Scottish ad was attributed to a doubling in the number of women contacting their doctors about the disease.

- Brendan Manning of APNZ

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