Company Refuses To Take Down “Want Longer Lasting Sex?” Billboards; ASA Launches Investigation

A company is resisting a request from the Advertising Standards Authority to cease its “Want Longer Lasting Sex” ad campaign for a nasal spray. The ASA has told the Advanced Medical Institute that its ads cause “offence” (more than 400 people have submitted complaints under 2.2, 5.1 and 50.12 of the code). Says the ASA,

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has asked the Advanced Medical Institute to remove its billboard advertisements pending investigation.  One of the reasons for that is they advertise a prescription-only medicine. The Code, which reflects the law, states that prescription-only medicines may not be advertised to the public.  We have instructed AMI to remove the ad in the interest of public safety. If it refuses to co-operate (as suggested by AMI’s press release), we will take action to have the ads removed.   

The ASA has the power to remove ads before it has completed an investigation. The ASA compliance team removes ads from the public domain on a regular basis with the cooperation of advertisers, agencies and media space owners who work to protect the public from harmful, misleading or offensive advertisements.   In response to a large number of complaints, the ASA is also considering whether the ad causes serious or widespread offence.