Ryanair advert 'inappropriate'

A complaint that a Ryanair advertisement showing a suggestively dressed teenage girl was "unacceptable and inappropriate" has been upheld by advertising watchdog the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI).

The National Women's Council of Ireland was among those to complain about the advertisement which featured a photograph of a young woman dressed up in a school uniform and the caption "Hottest Back To School Fares". It described the advertisement as "inappropriate, irresponsible and distasteful".

Other complaints said the advertisement was exploitative of young people and degraded and objectified children.

A claim by Ryanair that the advertisement featured a young woman and not a schoolgirl was rejected. The ASAI reminded advertisers generally to take care in using images of children or people portrayed as children.

A complaint that Ryanair had sent out a misleading direct e-mail which stated "250,000 flights, no taxes, fees or charges" was also upheld. The ASAI ordered Ryanair not to use it again.

The ASAI also criticised Unilever, the maker of Lynx deodorant, for an advertisement which showed a woman dressed in lingerie and a man wearing a pair of jeans with an open belt. There were scratch marks on his torso and a coin slot in his abdomen.

A number of complaints said the advertisement portrayed women as sex objects. The ASAI said the depiction of women in lingerie was only appropriate in lingerie advertisements and should not be used elsewhere. It said the advertisement was unacceptable.

An advertisement by McDonald's which offered a free Coca-Cola glass with every large extra-value meal encouraged excess consumption and was a breach of the advertising code, the ASAI also held. Optician chain Specsavers was told not to repeat an advertisement which claimed it was the "most trusted opticians in Ireland" unless it could back it up. This followed a complaint from rival firm Eyetech Opticians which claimed the result was based on a survey carried out at an over-50s show in the RDS in October 2006 overwhelmingly based on results for Leinster.

The ASAI upheld the complaint and said the research did not adequately support the claim.

It also said the makers of Nourella, an anti-ageing product, could not back up their claims it repaired skin damage and the signs of ageing.