... Airbrushing Ban FAIL

So a little while ago I wrote about the Lib Dem proposals to restrict the use of airbrushing in adverts aimed at kids, and to include health warnings on all other days employing this technique.

Yesterday Ad watchdogs rejected these calls, saying the public is not worried about it. The ASA refuses to take any further action, saying that they like to reflect public opinion. They reckon the public is aware that airbrushing is widely used… and stated that out of 26,000 complaints received last year, only 5 were about airbrushing

The only time they will step in is if the use of airbrushing leads to a misleading message about the effect of a product.

I believe that all health and beauty ads utilizing airbrushing to enhance someone’s’ appearance are already breaking this rule however; using an image of Kate Moss to advertise Rimmel’s products for example…. We all know how rough she can look in those papped shots, so obviously she has been airbrushed in the Rimmel ads; how else would she look so good?! So isn’t that using airbrushing to enhance a product effect?!

It creates this unattainable image that consumers believe they can create through the use of the advertised product… I’d say that’s misleading.

I guess airbrushing people’s bodies when advertising clothing in magazines doesn’t really fall in that same category though; you’re making the model look better but its not making the clothes appear magically slimming etc as a result. So I don’t know how its possible to get round that aspect really.

I’m sure this story rears its head again soon; maybe it’ll take a really controversial ad campaign or something to get it noticed, or maybe its just a case of waiting for some client to mess up and make crazy claims. I’ll def be keeping my eye on this one though!