 The ASA ruled that the advert carried in Zoo was irresponsible |
Complaints against a men's magazine which invited readers to "win a boob job for your girlfriend" have been upheld by the advertising watchdog. The Zoo advert was irresponsible as surgery was potentially dangerous, the Advertising Standards Authority ruled.
It came after offended members of the public complained the competition could "coerce" women into having surgery.
Zoo said it was aimed at adults who could spend the �4,000 prize money on whatever they wanted.
The invitation to win breast surgery was presented in a front page flash in the magazine.
And a double page article inside read: "Make your lady a more rounded individual with our feel-good, selfless, world-first competition.
"Zoo is giving away a �4,000 boob job for your partner, and a �1,000 cash prize for you!"
The article also featured photographs of glamour model Jordan before and after breast surgery.
And a side panel headed "Choose your Chest" included photographs of eight pairs of breasts ranging from an A cup to a G cup.
The ASA said the advert implied the money could only be spent on breast enlargement surgery for a reader's girlfriend.
'Psychological damage'
It told the magazine not to repeat the advert because it breached industry rules relating to the protection of consumers and responsible advertising.
The industry watchdog ruled: "We considered that the advert could coerce women into having breast enlargement surgery.
"We considered that, because breast enlargement surgery was a serious surgical procedure that could cause physical and psychological damage, the advert was irresponsible."
However, the ASA did not uphold complaints by members of the public that the advert was offensive because it "insulted and objectified" women.
Complaints rejected
The watchdog said it made this decision because the magazine was targeted at young men and written in a humorous way.
It concluded Zoo readers were unlikely to be offended by the advert or take its tongue-in-cheek claims literally.
A spokesman for the magazine said: "Zoo has agreed, in accordance with the ASA's adjudication, to make it clear in all future references to the competition that the winner's prize is a fund of �4,000 which can be spent on whatever the winner chooses.
"We are also pleased that two other complaints were not upheld by the ASA who recognised that Zoo readers would have accepted the humorous nature of the magazine's presentation of the competition."
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Because breast enlargement surgery was a serious surgical procedure that could cause physical and psychological damage, the advert was irresponsible
