Bayantel Ad/Billboard: Sex in Advertising?

Posted by in Lifestyle | 60 comments


Recommend this article?


bayantela.jpgEdit (July 8, 2006)- This ad has been changed (see this entry). On our way from Makati to Quezon City, my daughter quickly took a photo of this BayanTel billboard on the Guadalupe MRT station. They were mortified to see this billboard which shows a semi-naked woman with a “pleased expression” , to put it mildly. SATISFACTION GUARANTEE (sic)? BayanTel is supposed to be a telecommunications company but nowhere in the ad does it show any sign of a phone or internet service.

Connie already blogged about responsible advertising. In her entry, the Hush Puppies billboard showed a woman with her Hush Puppies sandal but the picture portrayed more than that. The model exposed a plunging neckline with legs spread apart and exposed thighs. Irrelevant and irresponsible advertising. Now take a look at the Bayan Tel Billboard. What kind of [tag]advertising[/tag] is this?

Bayantel

At least Hush Puppies showed their product inspite of the sexy model in the ad. When motorists pass by the Bayan Tel billboard, will they remember the word “Satisfaction Guarantee” and relate it with the model or the brand name, BayanTel? It clearly shows the desperate nature [tag]BayanTel[/tag] is doing to push their products and services. They use imagery to capture their target market. Sex in advertising creates controversy. Sex sells. BayanTel knows that this kind of ad might create some waves. Why does our government allow this kind of advertising to be posted where even children question it. At least my girls were disgusted at such irrelevant ad.

There is more in Pinoy Underground .



If you enjoyed this post, please recommend to your network by adding a plus one . You can also get Email Updates of any new posts by adding your email address below:

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

If you enjoyed this post, then make sure you subscribe to my RSS Feed.

The comments posted on my blog are moderated. I reserve the right to remove comments, words or phrases that are defamatory, abusive, incite hatred and advertise an email address or commercial services or just plain spammy. I also reserve the right to remove posts that to my opinion are off-topic, irrelevant, ad-hominem, personal attacks and or just plain rude. (January 16, 2009)
← Older Comments
  • carlo

    I also do not find the ad to be offensive. Granted, it is suggestive of sex, but it does not present it directly. The woman is not even necesarily naked. Some of you worry about it being visible to innocent children, but if one were truly innocent he would not associate this picture with sex. If your kid understands that the ad is meant to suggest an orgasm, then trust me: he’s seen a lot more indecent things before. We only make the association quickly ourselves because apparently we have sex on our mind all the time. :p

    I don’t mean we’re all perverts, only that we are always conscious of how situations might imply sex — even if it is just so that we can avoid such situations and remain polite within our social norm. But please, save your indignation for those noon time variety shows that are more sexually explicit than implicit.

    Many have also complained about the relevance of the original ad. Is the new ad any more relevant to Bayantel? I still don’t see a telephone. The relevance of both ads are in the ideas that they want you to associate with their company. Apparently, Bayantel has decided they would rather be seen as wholesome and family oriented, than edgy and sexy. I think they should have a right to either strategy.

  • Trox

    carlo, the ad may not be offensive to you but to women, it may have . . .in fact it may not be offensive but it is very much suggestive, know what??? the ad says (meant) that the you/women should buy/subscribe Bayantel phones as it does not stop ringing/vibrating and it may be very usefull for you to use it in masturbation . . .know what i mean???

    it must be banned and the creator must explain to appropriate authorities.

  • Pingback: Bayantel Ad: Sex in Advertising at Pinoy Underground

  • Pingback: Pinoy Underground » Blog Archive » Noemi talking about Sex in Advertising

  • JP

    I don’t find the ad repulsive but if it bothers other people then we should pull it out. The basic idea here is that while those who see it in bad taste want it to be pulled out because of the fact that it discomforts them,on the other hand those who like it aren’t really affectd when the ad is pulled out.

  • http://blog.ademagnaye.com ade

    And the grammar is horrible.

  • http://timeandtide.prepys.com/archives/2006/01/27/selling-sex-on-tv/ rhodora

    revisited your bayantel ad entry.. just want to share this post in my blog.. hope it relates.

  • http://aboutmyrecovery.com Noemi

    @Ade- Well it’s a guarantee they say. Bayantel told me that they offer a 14 day guarantee to their customers. Hence called “Satisfaction Guarantee”

    @rhodora- Thanks! Please share.

  • Deviantchild

    I am not a conservative person. I like sexy pictures and even porn. But to use sex in advertising is way cheap, especially in billboard. These ad agencies should have respect to all groups of people. Yes, the world is getting more and more liberated, but at the cost of losing respect to others’ rights? There is a word called “ethics” you know. For some, sexual themes are offensive so be ethically considerate. Have respect. You can fuck a pig in your old private house but for God’s sake, don’t let anyone see you; some might puke. And yeah, sex sells if you are actually selling sex. If not, cut the sex crap!

  • http://aboutmyrecovery.com Noemi

    @deviantChild- exactly. There is a place for these sexy ads like adult magazines or websites. Not billboard ads where children under 18 can easily view this

  • wolf

    i just want to belatedly comment on this issue. for all those who argue that having billboards like the one we’re talking about signifies development and emulates what’s being done in advanced western countries, i beg to differ. in the u.s. and other western countries ads like this one are strictly regulated. many people here in the philippines think that in the u.s. things are more liberated. false. if you have been to the states you would know that we have it worse here in the phils. like they said, ‘pag ang pinoy gumaya, mas malala’. our society, especially here in metro manila, for your information, is more sex-crazed and morally deficient than that of the u.s. only people who really havent been abroad have this idea backwards.

  • Anthony

    I agree that this ad is just plain crass. But I don’t agree with response number 2:

    “Mike: True but show some semblance of a product. This is just a photo of a woman who is “satisfied”. I’ve seen sexier ads too but it had some sort of product or service in place with the model.”

    Dude, having some semblance of the product being sold won’t do anything to the ad. Some of the greatest advertisements ever made don’t even show the product. Just a thought…

  • D

    i get the big idea of the ad campaign. and i dont think that there would’ve been a problem with the ad had it been posted somewhere more appropriate. like for example adult magazines / media where children are not allowed. the reason why the ad is creating noise is because it was placed in an unfiltered area. it’s a billboard! my gad. everyone looks at it. i believe the agency should’ve reserved the adult version of the ad in print ads where the audience is more specific since their target audience are decision makers already.. as for the immorality aspect of the ad, i think that’s the safest way they could’ve illustrated the big idea. innocent children wouldn’t remember the ad because they wouldn’t understand what the ad was saying / what the woman was feeling. in fact, i doubt if innocent kids would have a recall factor on matters they dont understand. thus, the ad wouldnt be a bad influence on the innocent–they would simply ignore the ad…

  • trinaclaren

    Have you seen the new print-ad of bayantel, i think it looked like strip-dancing, the people feautured in the commercials were only wearing Bras with letter P(upper case) on it. Yikes! They now promote STRIP-DANCING!(thats what i think about the commercial this 2008, but i don’t think that was the message)

  • http://bit.ly/_profile corty

    They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.

← Older Comments

Switch to our mobile site