Robin Thicke Blurred Lines advert banned before 7.30pm following almost 100 complaints
The advertisement for Beats Pill, a portable speaker, was ruled as too sexually suggestive for broadcast on daytime TV
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Your support makes all the difference.An advert for Dr Dre's Beats Pill speakers starring Robin Thicke and featuring his controversial hit "Blurred Lines" has been banned from showing before 7.30pm.
There have been 97 complaints over the advert's sexually suggestive scenes, according to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
In the clip, scantily-clad dancers show off the speakers – from the makers of Beats headphones – and use them as dumbbells.
One shot shows a woman on all fours with a Beats Pill laid on her back.
The infamous foam finger used by Miley Cyrus in her VMA performance with Thicke also makes an appearance.
The song playing in the background - the top-selling single in the UK so far this year - features the lyrics: "I know you want it, you're a good girl, can't let it get past me, you're far from plastic, talk about getting blasted, I hate these blurred lines." The song has been criticised for reinforcing rape myths.
Complainants said the advert was sexist and degrading to women, and claimed it shouldn't be broadcast at a time when children could be watching the TV.
Beats Electronics International defended its advert, claiming the women were strong individuals who were "not subservient to the male character".
The company said the dominant images were of the product being used "strong, playful" ways that "most viewers would not see as having any sexual connotation".
The ASA said: "While we accepted that some viewers might find elements of the ad distasteful, particularly the shots of the women's bodies with their heads obscured and the shot of the woman on all fours, we considered that those shots were brief, and when taken as a whole, the ad did not show sustained, overtly sexual or provocative behaviour."
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It was not found to be in breach of the code, but ruled that the overall tone was sexual. It concluded that the advert should not be broadcast before 7.30pm.
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