Tube ban Rampant Rabbit Ad

Lighten up TfL. The ad on the left has been banned by Transport for London, even though the Advertising Standards Authority have cleared it. The Ann Summers ad for its vibrator would apparently be OK if the words "Rampant Rabbit" and any mention of pleasure were removed. Mmm, sort of defeats the object of the ad then.

A TfL spokesperson justified their position by saying: "Consumers purchasing magazines make a conscious choice to read a magazine. Millions of people travel on the London Underground each day and they have no choice but to view whatever ads are posted there. We have to take account of the full range of travellers and endeavour not to give offence in the adverts we display".

Obviously Anne Summers are up in arms (like the guy who used a Rampant Rabbit to rob a bank) about the decision. Their chief exec complained "I don't understand. There is nothing remotely offensive about it. This is censorship gone mad."

TfL do seem to be getting on their high horse about some ads though and last month banned an ad for Gay Times magazine because one of the men was in a "state of undress".

If you look at them extremely enough, any advertisement could cause offence to someone else. I could take offence at the following hair conditioner ad, as it assumes that all men are commitment phobics, yet that wasn't banned.


What are your thoughts, do you think TfL have gone "censorship mad" with Ann Summers?