Watchdog rules against lingerie brand Honey Birdette showing bondage Santa in ads

An Australian lingerie brand’s Christmas ads which showed a bound and gagged Santa Claus has been ruled against by the Ad Standards Board for “excessive violence” and “highly sexualised imagery”.

Honey Birdette had run ads in its shop windows showing a woman in lingerie in different situations with Santa Claus, including one posing with her foot on his lap while he was bound and gagged with the tagline “Silent night..”.

One complaint against the ad said the images show Santa in a “bondage” situation, which draws the attention of children, adding: “When they look closely they are confronted with highly sexual imagery that is completely age-inappropriate and would be disturbing to many.”