General: ASA acts to pull 'Opium' ads

The Advertising Standards Authority today ordered Yves Saint Laurent to remove all of the posters for its Opium perfume.

The poster, featuring a photograph of Sophie Dahl, led to more than 730 complaints to the ASA, with more coming in each day, making it the most complained about advertisement since 1995.

Most of the complainants argued that the poster was offensive, degrading to women and unsuitable in a public place.

The ASA's ruling Council considered that the advertisement, on a poster, was sexually suggestive and likely to cause "serious or widespread offence", thereby breaking the British Codes of Advertising and Sales Promotion.

ASA Director General, Christopher Graham, said: "This was the most complained about advertisement in the last five years. As a poster, it clearly caused serious and widespread offence."

Yves Saint Laurent now faces the prospect of having future poster advertising for the product pre-vetted for up to two years. The decision to pre-vet will be made by the Committee of Advertising Practice - the industry body that writes the British Codes of Advertising and Sales Promotion.

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