ASA Crumbles Over Cadbury’s Flake

The ASA has acknowledged the “pure indulgence” of eating the crumbliest flakiest chocolate in the world by rejecting complaints against a poster for Cadbury’s Snowflake, which pictured a woman “sucking” a chocolate bar suggestively.

Complainants objected to the poster, which featured the strapline: “How much would you like this girl’s job,” claiming that it was offensive because it showed the woman eating the chocolate bar in a way that simulated oral sex.

Cadbury’s said that they were surprised that the poster had been interpreted in such a way as it followed a long tradition of advertising that portrayed beautiful women eating chocolate. They said that the campaign had always appealed to women who believed that eating a Flake was a moment of personal and private indulgence and pointed out that the only addition to the tradition of Flake advertising was the strapline.

The ASA considered that the majority of consumers would be familiar with the terms of the long running campaign and concluded that because of that familiarity, the poster was unlikely to cause widespread offence. The authority did not uphold the complaints.

ASA: 020 7580 5555 www.asa.org.uk

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