The risqué advertising for reality TV show FBoy Island, aired on Foxtel’s streaming service BINGE, has been under scrutiny recently following complaints to Ad Standards over its explicit content.
However, in its judgement, the advertising watchdog concluded that the controversial ads did not violate the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) codes.
FBoy Island Australia, hosted by Abbie Chatfield, is a dating show featuring three women in search of true love, while distinguishing the ‘nice guys’ from the ‘Fboys’ among 24 contestants. The advertising for the show, criticised for its salacious nature, has raised eyebrows, primarily among the more conservative viewership.
One of the lodged complaints condemned the ad, suggesting it showcased “simulated sex gesticulations” and featured a “tongue licking of barely clad female.” The complaint also criticised the availability of the ad, viewable by audiences of all ages 24/7, and claimed it was aired on free-to-air TV during early evening hours.
In response to the criticism, Foxtel defended the ad, stating it was crafted keeping a specific “target audience in mind” and pointed out inaccuracies in the complaint, denying the ad had been aired on linear free-to-air TV. Foxtel further clarified the ad was part of a targeted campaign aimed at females aged between 18 and 34 who are already fans of other reality TV shows, including Love Island.
Addressing the specific allegations regarding explicit content, Foxtel stated that the complained scene involving a male contestant “grinding” against a laughing female, clothed in a long-sleeved blue dress, lasted for a mere 0.5-1 second.
Moreover, Foxtel contested that the “tongue-licking” incident never occurred. The network defended the scene as reflective of a comedic, light-hearted talent show game featured in the show.
The Ad Standards panel, having assessed the advertisement, aligned with Foxtel’s argument, stating the commercial had not breached any AANA codes. The panel did acknowledge, however, that children could have potentially viewed the ad if they had access to a family account on Broadcaster Video-on-Demand (BVOD) services.
Conclusively, the ad was found to be within acceptable standards, being specifically tailored to an adult audience, and not directly accessible by a younger demographic.
This episode underscores the challenge of balancing the appeal of risqué content for adult audiences with maintaining appropriate standards for potential younger viewers.
SOURCE: B&T
