Sexual molestation of kids in a cereal bar ad?

By OnDownLow 

A UK-targeted Kellogg’s ad, created by Leo Burnett London, has been cleared of making light of the sexual abuse of young people.

The ad for a Nutri-Grain cereal bar was set in a doctor’s examination room, with a young man complaining of hunger pangs.

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An older man, a baker posing as a doctor, hands the younger man a cereal bar and asked him to take his trousers off.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the UK regulating board for advertising, said 42 complaints were received from viewers who thought the ad was suggestive of sexual abuse, and was not suitable to be broadcast to children.

However, the ASA said that the ad was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence. Leo Burnett said they’d replace the offensive line for future broadcasts of the ad.

Kudos to the kids at Leo Burnett for creating the controversy — taking the ad standard practice of “sex sells” to a whole new level.

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