'No helmet' fashion advertisement banned

[Bob]

An advertisement for the ‘Fat Face’ fashion clothing brand has been banned, following complaints to the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA). The advertisement showed the models wearing the brand’s clothing, whilst riding motorcycles without crash helmets.

Fat Face said ‘It did not condone illegal activity, but supported the freedom of an individual to make choices where it was legal, including some jurisdictions concerning the freedom to choose whether or not to wear a helmet on a motorcycle’ – which, of course, has not been allowed since 1973.

The ASA ruled the images were “irresponsible and likely to be seen to be condoning unsafe practices” and should not be used again.

(I've posted this as it made me smile - the fashion house clearly were trying to be 'street' or something... not realising it has been 36 years since you could ride a bike in the UK without a helmet)

[Lucy]

Good grief, if they banned everything on ads that is dumb in real life, where would we get our entertainment?

[YellowDog]

Get a perrrm !



I thought it was still legal to ride a motorcycle in some American states without a helmet.

TV films often show cool looking guys without helmets (to make them look coller and also aviod ruinin their gelled up hair).

If you can't eat it, screw it, or piss on it - Ban it instead.

[Bob]

I thought it was still legal to ride a motorcycle in some American states without a helmet.

The states that allow it - and don't - change almost daily. As soon as one state starts the "We need to save lives" approach, another one drags out the "Freedom of choice, our constitutional right" thing and lets people ride without.

This, however, is in the UK (sorry, should have made that clear earlier in the item), where riding without a helmet was outlawed in 1973 (except somewhere odd like the Isle of Alderney in the Channel Islands if I remember rightly... I'll exit 'Geek Mode' now!) It just made me smile that the fashion company tried to come out with the line they did, clearly not knowing that 36 years have gone by since you could make the choice.