Sandpit Billboard Alert
Date: June 28, 2010
SHARE:
On 9 February 2010, GEMSA sent a letter of complaint to the Advertising Standard Authority of South Africa (ASASA). The letter informed of advertisement on a bill board in the Eastgate area in Johannesburg. The bill board posted by Sandpit a tools and hardware company, depicts women wearing bikinis, boots and helmet. They also carry hammers, tool bags, and shovels.
The alerts and complaints project is an ongoing process with GEMSA to raise awareness of how media portrays women and stereotype them to push sales of merchandise.
In a letter to Sandpit, the marketing personnel informed GEMSA that this was common practice to sell merchandise and attract customers. He also said that their sales had improved since running such bill boards and having several other women in bikinis on their website. ” We are entering a space were we need to attract customers with such images of women dressed in bikinis only to make the work involved sexy. He also noted that is was by no means intended to be disrespectful to women or otherwise.
In a response letter from ASASA, the directorate ruling is that this kind of advertising should not be used and thus it must be withdrawn.
For more information please read the response from the directorate and the clauses that qualify this advert for withdrawal.
Â
Â
Â
Download : ASASA Directorate letter of response to the Billboard
Download : Alerts Letter of Complaint to ASASA
Connect with us
Comment on Sandpit Billboard Alert