Aussie councillor pushes to ban 'pornographic' ads in shopping centre display
Popular lingerie brand Honey Birdette has long been critised for its explicit advertising material. Now there are calls for a total ban.
Popular lingerie brand Honey Birdette has once again been criticised over its public advertising displays in shopping centres which, in the past, have been deemed "pornographic" and inappropriate — with new calls for a widespread ban.
The "bondage, sexy toy and fetish-themed retailer," which is owned by Playboy, has reportedly breached the Australian Association of National Advertisers Code of Ethics "more than 60 times," claims City of Sydney Councillor Linda Scott, who is now calling for a ban on highly sexual displays in public view.
Councillor Scott has taken aim at the Broadway Shopping Centre store in Sydney's inner west which she says is just metres from a children’s retailer, Lego. Honey Birdette's advertising often depicts women wearing bondage-style corsets and underwear — a clear breach of the Code's Section 2.4 – sex, sexuality and nudity, the councillor points out.
Previously, the Ad Standards Community Panel found the window ads "present women as sex objects" and were "overtly sexual and inappropriate for display in a public space". Since 2010, Ad Standards has investigated over 160 complaints about Honey Birdette promotions, according to Collective Shout, a group that rallies "against the objectification of women and the sexualisation of girls in media, advertising and popular culture".
Collective Shout, has been campaigning against the "objectified" images for years and is in full support of a widespread ban, movement director Melinda Tankard Reist told Yahoo News Australia. She said the "blatantly sexualised depictions of women" are "doing real harm" saying it condones the mistreatment of women.
Concerning images depict 'violence against women'
Councillor Scott told the Daily Telegraph that "women should be safe, and feel safe, in our city," condemning the explicit nature of the ads regularly displayed in the windows of its stores across the country.
"In light of the rise in domestic violence and public attacks against women in Sydney, I’m even more determined to take action to ensure advertising images depicting violent acts against women aren’t displayed prominently in our local shopping centres," Scott told the publication.
"Companies such as Honey Birdette have been able to exploit loopholes in voluntary advertising codes to display pornographic and violent images of women for too long."
Cotton On forced to re-design boys shirt after mum spots 'upsetting' detail
Aussies shocked after offensive toy found for sale in tourist town
It's understood Ad Standards Australia has been attempting to order the lingerie brand to comply for many years, however, Ad Standards boss Richard Bean said Honey Birdette presents a "unique challenge". He said they do not accept that the complaints "raise legitimate issues and control their advertising medium".
"This financial year, Honey Birdette has been found in breach of the AANA Code of Ethics six times, and received 14 complaints in 2024 that were linked to 11 ads," he said.
Yahoo News Australia reached out to Councillor Scott, Ad Standards Australia and Honey Birdette for comment.
Calls for a 'complete overhaul'
Collective Shout has long condemned the racy images. Previously, one image showed a topless model with gold pasties over her nipples — an image they likened to porn. Nothing has changed since, claims Collective Shout Campaigns Manager Caitlin Roper.
"We have decades of research documenting how sexualised and objectifying representations of women contribute to men’s violence against women," she said in a statement last month, following another violation.
"We are in the midst of a national epidemic of violence against women, yet Honey Birdette delivers up one ad after another portraying women as things existing for men’s sexual use. Ad industry self-regulation has facilitated this. We need a complete overhaul of the system."
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
