Confused’s ‘oral sex’ ad escapes ASA ban

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has decided not to uphold 137 complaints about an “offensive” TV advert for price comparison firm Confused.

In the ad, broadcast after 9pm, Confused mascot Brian the robot appears to interrupt a couple’s oral sex session in their car to tell them how much they could save on car insurance.

In the opening shot of the ad, the man is seated in the driver’s seat and the woman is bent down out of view. Brian’s knock on the car window startles the woman and she springs upright.

The majority of the 137 complainants objected that the ad was offensive because they believed there was an implied reference to oral sex.

Several also objected that the ad was unsuitable for children to see, while a small number also complained that the ad was degrading to women.

The ASA acknowledged that viewers may interpret the ad as a reference to oral sex, but noted that it contained no explicit reference to sex or sexual imagery. It said: “While we acknowledged that some viewers might find the ad distasteful, we considered it was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.”

It added that the 9pm timing restriction minimised the risk of children seeing the ad.

The ASA also did not uphold the complaints about the advert being degrading to women. It said: “We noted the ad depicted the woman in a state of alarm at the appearance of the robot. We acknowledged that some viewers would interpret the ad as a reference to oral sex.

“However, we considered the ad did not depict the woman as a sexual object, nor did it suggest that the woman was in distress. On that basis, we concluded that the ad was not likely to be viewed as degrading to women.”

The ASA said that following its investigations, no further action was necessary in relation to the advert.