The campaign has already been given the green light by the Advertising Standards Authority, but TfL believed that the content, featuring a mermaid and the line "wave after wave of pleasure" was still likely to offend passengers.
A TfL spokesman said: "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 therefore have to take account of the full range of travellers and endeavour not to give offence in the advertising we display."
The Rampant Rabbit, which became famous after its appearance in 'Sex and the City', is one of Ann Summer's most popular products. Despite the Tube ban the campaign is still being run in magazines.
The vibrator brand was in the headlines earlier this week when an armed robber was jailed for five years for holding up a bookmakers with a Rampant Rabbit concealed in a bag to look like a gun.
Comments
PASCAL - 23/08/2007
It is called censorship! How ridiculous!
Can anybody really be that easily offended?
Of course they can, what a narrow-minded view to think that only open-mindedness is legitimate - I mean that, seriously!
As marketers we need to understand that not everyone is the same.
Luckily for Ann Summers, the PR from this may be priceless, we'll have to see!
That's what i said, but then it was pointed out that not having kids i probably hadn't taken into account the fact that this is an ad for vibrators and do you really want to be explaining (or exposing) children to that when travelling on the tube?
You beat me to it Gordon.
There's a time and a place and for this type of promotion and I personally would rather not see it mass communicated, for exactly the reasons you say.
I don't see how they can justify ads for erectile disfunction (much harder to explain to children) and not allow this.
Besides, the ad is really really pretty. Much better than those hideous Nintendo DS ads that have just come out. Talk about wasting three years on the tube...
PS Did anyone notice that the last shot on that new salad cream ad is a pair of shoes draped over a powerline... how did that get past the censors. Or the salad cream people, for that matter. Who would want their condiments associated with a crackhouse?
surely a parent can use a bit of creative improvisation and explain it's an ad for a pet store or a new out-of-town swimming centre
Drawing offence from this is definitely a British characteristic. I was in Paris earlier this year and they have ads for all sorts of sex-related products (most featuring half naked women) on the Metro. Nobody cares.
In that case they should pull those bloody tampon adverts from television with the blue water, We all know what the horrible blue water represents. Those adverts offend me.
...or perhaps the pregnancy test adverts. Try explaining that pissing on a piece of plastic is a good thing to a 6 year old excited about his new toilet etiquette.
yep and take off the adverts for nappies with babies bums too and and advert that has the slightest bit of humour in it. too offensive. This is such a load of PC gone mad bullcrap.
Comments
PASCAL - 23/08/2007
It is called censorship! How ridiculous!
Andrew Payne - 24/08/2007
Can anybody really be that easily offended?
James Cooke - 24/08/2007
Of course they can, what a narrow-minded view to think that only open-mindedness is legitimate - I mean that, seriously! As marketers we need to understand that not everyone is the same. Luckily for Ann Summers, the PR from this may be priceless, we'll have to see!
Gordon Macmillan - 24/08/2007
That's what i said, but then it was pointed out that not having kids i probably hadn't taken into account the fact that this is an ad for vibrators and do you really want to be explaining (or exposing) children to that when travelling on the tube?
Jonathan Godson - 24/08/2007
You beat me to it Gordon. There's a time and a place and for this type of promotion and I personally would rather not see it mass communicated, for exactly the reasons you say.
Peg Stewart - 24/08/2007
I don't see how they can justify ads for erectile disfunction (much harder to explain to children) and not allow this. Besides, the ad is really really pretty. Much better than those hideous Nintendo DS ads that have just come out. Talk about wasting three years on the tube... PS Did anyone notice that the last shot on that new salad cream ad is a pair of shoes draped over a powerline... how did that get past the censors. Or the salad cream people, for that matter. Who would want their condiments associated with a crackhouse?
Darren Davidson - 24/08/2007
surely a parent can use a bit of creative improvisation and explain it's an ad for a pet store or a new out-of-town swimming centre
Alex Donohue - 24/08/2007
Drawing offence from this is definitely a British characteristic. I was in Paris earlier this year and they have ads for all sorts of sex-related products (most featuring half naked women) on the Metro. Nobody cares.
Peter Petrelli - 24/08/2007
In that case they should pull those bloody tampon adverts from television with the blue water, We all know what the horrible blue water represents. Those adverts offend me.
Michal Hicks - 24/08/2007
...or perhaps the pregnancy test adverts. Try explaining that pissing on a piece of plastic is a good thing to a 6 year old excited about his new toilet etiquette.
Peter Petrelli - 29/08/2007
yep and take off the adverts for nappies with babies bums too and and advert that has the slightest bit of humour in it. too offensive. This is such a load of PC gone mad bullcrap.