An ad for protein shake brand For Goodness Shakes has been banned for causing serious and widespread offence by making implied references to male masturbation.
The online video showed men who appeared to hold something in their groin area while shaking vigorously. Only the men’s heads and upper torsos were visible. According to the ASA, “the final scene featured a man standing behind a woman in a lift. His body stopped shaking when he appeared to notice something had landed on the woman’s back. He attempted to brush it off… before she stepped out… at which point it was revealed he had been shaking a protein shake.”
The video ended with an on-screen message saying ‘We shake for you… the protein shake without the shaker’.
In defending the ad, For Goodness Shakes said protein shakes typically required vigorous shaking, and many men were self-conscious about mixing shakes in public. The ad was intended to depict the awkwardness of shaking a protein shake in public in a risqué yet funny way.
However, the ASA said the implied references to male masturbation were likely to cause offence even though no explicit material was shown.
Alex Brooks, marketing director of For Goodness Shakes, said the company was surprised and disappointed with the ASA’s ruling. “The viral achieved just short of a million views, which proved it was enormously popular and, judging by the comments, very much enjoyed by the target audience. The creative hit the spot - it was insightful and truthful to the embarrassment many people feel using old-fashioned protein shakers in public. The ASA ruling was initiated by one complaint only, and I’d suspect it was raised by a competitor.”
No comments yet