London, August 24: The UK's advertising watchdog, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), has cleared billboards featuring model Eliza Rose Watson, who is associated with the adult subscription platform OnlyFans. The billboards displayed an image of Watson wearing a bra and included details of her OnlyFans and Instagram accounts. The ASA received 30 complaints asserting that the billboards were inappropriate for children and contained sexual adult content.

According to multiple reports, despite the complaints, the ASA ruled that the billboards were not "overtly sexual" and did not objectify women, thus concluding that they were unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence. The billboards, which appeared in various London locations, including one situated around 450 meters from a school, generated controversy about the line between suggestive advertising and explicit content. Watson reportedly earns around £200,000 per month from selling explicit content on OnlyFans, defended the ad, stating that it adhered to advertising guidelines while reflecting modern trends. UK Army Mulls Dropping Century-Old Ranks For Being Too Masculine and To Make Regiments More Inclusive.

She also contended that the ad was tailored to avoid being offensive to mature viewers while intriguing the younger generation. The owner of the poster site, Amplify Outdoor, stated that none of the ads were placed within 100 meters of a school. Initially displaying Watson, the billboards were later taken over by environmental activists from Global Witness, who transformed them into 'OilyFans' adverts. UK Suffers ‘Biggest Ever’ Ransomware Attack on National Health Service, Says Report.

This was done as a satirical comment on the substantial pay package of BP's CEO, Bernard Looney. Despite the controversy, the ASA concluded that the ads were not overtly sexual and, therefore did not warrant further action. The decision has prompted discussions about the fine line between provocative advertising and content that may be inappropriate for certain audiences, particularly children.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 24, 2023 06:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).