Ann Summers defends 'raunchy' advert
3:44pm Friday 9th January 2009
Comments (7)A high street shop has defended a controversial advertising campaign, saying the idea behind the raunchy sales promotion was to "have fun without offending".
A red-faced father contacted the Watford Observer after he saw the offending advert in the window of adult retailers Ann Summers, in the upper mall of the The Harlequin Centre.
In the advert, the "L" in the word “sale” takes on an apparently phallic shape as it approaches a pair of red lips.
The image is underneath the slogan "get excited".
A spokesperson for the company, however, said the store has yet to receive a complaint about the promotion.
A statement read: "Ann Summers carefully considers each and every promotional tool.
"Our current Ann Summers "sale" point of sale material has been used for the past seven seasons (equivalent to three and half years) and we have spoken to our retail team who are unaware of any prior complaints in the Watford area.
"We aim to have fun in what we do without offending. However, we do take our role seriously and apologise if we have offended the customer in question and what he has interpreted from our window."
Your Say YourWatford Observer
Watford_Chick, Watford says...
8:22pm Fri 9 Jan 09
LOL at the guy who contacted here, i would of laughed in his face and told him to go home to the wife for a good seeing too!
chocco, croxley says...
3:33pm Sat 10 Jan 09
Let's have the lights off.
He must have been trying to sneak a sly peak inside as he passed to notice it,
Ive passed there about 10 times and not noticed the poster,Though if I had noticed it It would have made me have a chuckle.
Watford_Writer, Watford says...
10:16pm Sat 10 Jan 09
Roy Stockdill, says...
11:15am Sun 11 Jan 09
The truth is, as the Ann Summers statement said, that it's a matter of interpretation. I wonder what these folks who find offence in everything would say about those marvellous Round The Horne radio shows of the 1960s, especially the outrageously camp "polare" of Jules and Sandy and Rambling Syd Rumpo singing about his grummocks, woggle irons and cordwangles? It was hilarious but all quite innocent because it was all in the mind and could mean whatever you wanted it to mean! Sadly, people seem to have lost their sense of humour in these grim times.
Paradise Watford, says...
11:58am Mon 12 Jan 09
I'm afraid I'm one of those people that believes that the media and entertainment has a huge influence on people (how many trends and fashions for instance have been started through a tv program, or a song etc.). The fact that there is so much violence, sex and swearing etc. does mean that more and more young (and now not so young) people find it acceptable to swear every other word, who think physical violence and even murder is okay and as for promiscuity... well, you don't have to wait long in Watford to see a gaggle of teenage single mums walk past do you!
Yes there are other issues such as the breakdown in the family unit etc. but it could be argued that even that has its roots in media.
Thats my two pences worth anyway.
Roy Stockdill, says...
6:49pm Mon 12 Jan 09
Yes, but they only have the kids in order to draw welfare benefits. They are always going to have difficulty in keeping their knickers on and their legs together when the state is paying them to have **** children.
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Winston, Bushey says...
7:53pm Fri 9 Jan 09