Transport For London Pulls ‘Naked Attraction’ Bus Ads For Being Too Intrusive
Video screenshot via Channel 4
The little private time that comforts commuters on public transport was disrupted by Channel 4’s campaign for controversial dating show Naked Attraction, which left some feeling exposed. After listening to complaints, Transport for London (TfL) made the decision to take down the advertisements.
Displayed on the upper deck of London buses were prints depicting passengers along a spectrum of appreciation for the show and getting naked. The back part read “loves naked attraction,” the middle section said “hates naked attraction,” while the front declared that any rider seated there “loves being naked.”
What the hell is this creepy bus ad? You can’t just label non-consenting passengers like that. Does @Channel4 not know how many sexual assaults take place on buses? pic.twitter.com/SQQoYUmFqv
— Tracy King (@tkingdot) August 30, 2021
The activation was for a dating game series where a clothed person is matched with six potential partners, whose nude bodies are gradually shown in full to the person.
The campaign is awkward at best, but people have also pointed out that it potentially trivializes sexual assault and can be particularly discomfiting for victims of sexual harassment.
“You can’t just label non-consenting passengers like that,” tweeted writer Tracy King, who shared a photo of the advertisement. “Does Channel 4 not know how many sexual assaults take place on buses?”
King elaborated that “the bar shouldn’t be this low, but can ad agencies perhaps start with ‘does this concept afford the bus user basic dignity, privacy and autonomy?’” and that passengers “shouldn’t have to navigate ‘am I the butt of a joke on my way to work today.’”
Others have also remarked that children would be placed at an especially compromising position, seeing as how they might favor taking the upstairs seats.
As per a YouGov poll from 2020, a majority of women (55%) in London have been subjected to unwanted sexual advancements on public transport, while one in five men (21%) have been affected by such incidents.
TfL stressed that the transportation network takes “any report of sexual assault or inappropriate behavior… extremely seriously” so that “public transport is a safe environment for everyone.”
According to advertising watchdog the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), 26 complaints had been filed against the activation, with most expressing “that the ad sexualizes members of the public and does so without their consent.”
TfL has now deemed the advertisement unsuitable for its bus network, and promises to take it down “as soon as practicable.”
In response, a spokesperson for Channel 4 commented: “This ad is based on a Channel 4 entertainment program. It was not our intention to cause offense and we apologize if it has done so.”
Hi Tracy. Thanks for your feedback. We have reviewed the ad campaign and decided that it should not continue to run on our bus network. It will be removed as soon as practicable, and we will continue our efforts to ensure public transport is safe for everyone. ^Paul
— Transport for London 😷 (@TfL) August 31, 2021
[via Sky News, cover image via Channel 4]
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