The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has found that giant out-of-home billboards depicting OnlyFans model Eliza Rose Watson half-dressed were not ‘in breach’ of advertising guidelines.
The adverts, which depict the influencer posing in lingerie in promotion of her page on the adult content subscription site, received a backlash from members of the local community when the billboards were advertised earlier this year.
Sparking over thirty complaints, Harrow, Edgware and Lambeth residents pointed out the proximity of the adverts to local schools and drivers on the main road, leading to one billboard being graffitied with text that read ‘Keep P&rn Off Our Streets’.
However, following an investigation, the ASA has ruled that the OnlyFans poster “adhered to advertising guidelines and reflected trends in leading brands”.
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Pointing out the similarities between this ad and those shared by other brands, the ASA added that the posters were “non-suggestive, not harmful and less provocative than mainstream lingerie or perfume brand advertisements”.
In addition, the advertising regulatory body pointed out that the OnlyFans poster “deliberately omitted any explicit website link or call to action”, while Watson herself reportedly claimed to give great “consideration to child safety”.
This was reinforced by both the data from her social media channels, which have a target audience age of 25-44, and by the OnlyFans website, which has stringent restrictions in place for users under 18.
Media owner Amplify Outdoor supported Watson’s statement, adding that “none of the posters were displayed within 100 metres of a school, with the closest being 450 metres from the nearest school”.
They added that the overall content of the ad was consistent with “many other outdoor campaigns, using an image and icons popular with social media sites. Children in general did not know about OnlyFans. The site was a locked site and minors were prevented from accessing content.”
The ASA acknowledged that the advert was shown through several posters throughout London, which was an untargeted medium and likely to be seen by “a large number of people, including children”.
However, it concluded that “the OnlyFans ad was not overtly sexual and did not objectify women”.
“We therefore concluded the ad was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence”.
