Description:
The online advertisement offered lawnmower replacement chains for sale that were displayed in a shape similar to a swastika.
Complaint:
The complainant was of the view that the shape in which the lawnmower chains were arranged was an unacceptable depiction and portrayal as it looked like a swastika which is offensive.
Response:
Although Ad Standards requested a response from the advertiser, there was no response sent to Council.
Decision:
Without a formal response from the advertiser, Council could not determine if there was a legitimate reason for manipulating the chains to appear in that fashion.
In their discussions, Council was of the view that the depiction of the lawnmower chains in the shape of a swastika went beyond being subjectively in poor taste, but rather was a product portrayal that most viewers would find very offensive.
Council unanimously held that the advertisement displayed an obvious indifference to, or encouraged, gratuitously and without merit, conduct or attitudes that offend the standards of public decency prevailing among a significant segment of the population, in contravention with Clause 14(d) of the Code.
Infraction:
Clause 14(d)