Advertising blow for Durex
Posters advertising a sexual lubricant have been withdrawn from MTR stations and magazines after a report in last week's Sunday Morning Post.
Condom maker Durex said it had decided to withdraw advertisements for its Play brand of lubricants following complaints by parents and at least one social pressure group.
'Because of the concerns that had been raised over this advertisement, we have decided to withdraw them from MTR stations and print magazines,' said Elaine Ng, marketing manager for SSL Healthcare Asia - the product's distributer in Hong Kong.
'We will carefully scrutinise our future advertisement campaigns in order to avoid misunderstandings,' she added.
The offending advertisements - which were bright orange and featured the words 'for blow' - were removed from MTR stations on Thursday.
Advertisements for the product had also been carried in a number of Chinese-language magazines.
The Play lubricant is squeezed onto the fingers and then applied to desired areas of the body.
Durex has explained that the reference to 'blow' is meant to highlight the fact that the warming properties of the lubricant are activated by softly blowing onto the surface where the lubricant has been applied.
However, at least one concern group said it believes the blow reference is an allusion to oral sex designed to lend the product an air of 'naughtiness'.
Concerns were also raised that the advertisement was displayed in areas frequented by young people.
