Britvic said the ad was satirical

The UK advertising watchdog has rejected a complaint that claimed a Britvic ad shown in Ireland was sexist and objectified women.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the 60-second cinema spot for Britvic Ireland's Club Orange orange juice, in which scantily clad women tell men to look at their “bits”, was tongue-in-cheek and aimed at a mature audience. It also said the average viewer would recognise it as a satirical stab at outdated attitudes.

“We acknowledged that the ad featured a lot of women in bikinis or short dresses inviting men to contemplate their 'bits' and that therefore in some respects the ad did reflect sexist attitudes,” the ASA ruling said. “However, we considered that it was clear the scenario was fantastical in nature, because of the setting and context, and that it would not encourage young women to conform to the stereotype it portrayed.”

Britvic Ireland had defended the ad, which can be viewed below, saying it was extensively tested and designed to appeal to a target audience of 18- to 30-year-old men. The ASA was also told the ad was approved to air only ahead of 15 and 18 certificate movies.

The ASA upheld a second complaint that “due to a systems failure” the ad was shown ahead of a 12A certificate film. However, no further action is necessary because the ad is no longer being shown, it said.

Last month, the ASA rejected a complaint from Alcohol Concern that claimed a Heineken campaign implied drinking alcohol made consumers more confident.

Click here to view the full ruling from the ASA.