The ASA has ruled that the 'are you beach body ready?' ad is not offensive

Remember the distinctive black and yellow Tube ads for a weight-loss drink asking whether you were "beach body ready?"

The Protein World campaign caused quite a backlash from people who saw their ads as peddling an unrealistic body image and led to a petition to get it taken down.

While the ad was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority over concerns its health and nutrition claims were not authorised on the EU Register, the watchdog has ruled that the campaign was not offensive or socially irresponsible, and would not have shamed women into believing they needed to take a slimming supplement.

The ASA received 378 complaints that the image of the "very slim, toned" model under the headline implied other body shapes were in some way inferior.

Protein World said the ad's intention was to invite the viewer to consider if they were in the shape they wanted to be.

The ASA said the term "beach body" carried connotations of a toned, athletic physique similar to the image of the model in the ad but also had a broader meaning of "feeling sufficiently comfortable and confident with one's physical appearance to wear swimwear in a public environment."

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