South Africa’s advertising watchdog has banned a television commercial depicting angels falling from heaven because they are attracted to a man’s deodorant after a complaint from a Christian.
The advertisement for Axe deodorant (known as Lynx in Britain) features winged, attractive women crashing to earth in an Italian town.
The scantily-clad women are then drawn towards a seemingly unremarkable man preparing to get on a moped. They regard their quarry lasciviously while sniffing the air before one by one smashing their halos and advancing towards him.
A viewer who complained to South Africa’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the suggestion that God’s messengers would literally fall for a mortal being because of a deodorant was incompatible with his belief as a Christian.
ASA agreed, and ordered Unilver SA, which sells Axe deodorants, to withdraw the advertisement.
As such, the problem is not so much that angels are used in the commercial, but rather that the angels are seen to forfeit, or perhaps forego their heavenly status for mortal desires,” it said in a statement.
Idiots. Like – if you don’t like the commercial don’t buy the fracking deodorant!
Dunno about the deodorant – but, the angels rock!
Sexy, sexy angels…this one’s much better than that Christopher Walken movie. I find Axe “body spray” and the douchebags who wear it much more offensive than this silly commercial.
Screw the angels. The guy is hot! But, that’s beside the point. It appears that South Africa has gone from being a racist nation to being a theocracy. Pitty.
Funny how the blind guy at :26 watches the angels as they walk.
It’s a Miracle!
I would like to ban Christians for making anything entertaining get banned. I find it offensive how they stick their noses into my life taking away my freedom to enjoy whatever I want and pushing their beliefs on me.
Can I do that? Huh? Can I Ban Christians?
Only if I can ban you for being a jerk. Grow-up fool.
I think he has a point. Why do Christians get to run the moral circuit of advertising? They’ve already stolen politics from us.
And superstitous religious idiots should do some honest study and realize they are the children, the jerks, the suckers, and the biggest fools in fooldom.
Fool? You are the fool, thank you for exposing that so clearly.
Fool because he hasn’t been brainwashed to believe your fantasy?
I live in the real world with few fantasies, I suspect you misinterpreted who my response was aimed at.
> but rather that the angels are seen to forfeit, or perhaps forego their heavenly status for mortal desires,
My wife is an angel so this commercial is not as far fetched as people realize.
Seemed like Rapture throwbacks.
I agree the guy at the end is hotttt
So this idiot has an issue with the AD portraying angles giving up heaven for a man but does not see any issue with angles being near supermodels who are obviously trying to sell sex way before the renounce the halo.
Nice that he accepts the suggestion that in heaven in gods eyes all women are 5’3″ and 100 lbs. good way to endorse the supermodel stereotype because it pleases him.
Now I would like to complain that our adverts in the US are never this good, please provide me with interruptions good enough so that I may file a complaint against them. Since I am not easily offended you better step it up.
This entire thing is total bullshit. How do you make something go viral? You have it “banned”.
Christians should all go jump off a bridge and be with their imaginary god… and leave the rest of us alone.
See there, we totally agree.
Actually, hyper sensitive people need to bugger off, turn off their TV and/or stop buying things from almost everyone as almost every business does flatly detestable things.
And frankly? Yes, the only thing good about Axe is the commercials.
Oh and ya, where is all the anger at the Victoria Secret stuff!!!
Can’t get more Catholic than Portugal, this has been going on TV for ages with no issues…
All commercials are offensive and should be banned.
Hey, if the advertisers wanna pay the freight for free over-the-air programs, they should get the chance at being the <i.Global Village Idiot and shout their messages over a broadcast owned medium at an increasingly crowded market commons to people who long ago learned to tune them out.
They are paying for something that nobody asked for, their lousy ads, and for content of dubious nature, (like whomever came up with reality TV shows? [Did anybody ever run “Sharon and Ozzie Orbourne” in front of an unbiased audience to see if anybody wanted to watch those two acid casualties in the first place? I doubt it. {They were probably presented with a choice between heart attack or cancer (who the fuck was the second choice? The original Ozzie and Harriet?) and not been asked what they really wanted to watch in the first place…}])
Personally, I threw my TV set away years ago. I select and get all my media from the internet and the web.
That just gets you out of touch as to what the media feeds the sheeple. You’ve created your own bubble and not realize it .
Commercial was shot in Split, Croatia not in Italy.
Unfortunately angels were imported for occasion.
Using the same logic as the ad, Maxine Waters would have the hots for David Duke and Pelosi would lust for Dick Cheney if they wore said deodorant. Not that I’d wish Maxine Waters or Pelosi on anybody…
False advertising, anyone?
So–some are piping up that the guy is hot, or hott!—?
I watched carefully for that factoid as I am constantly impressed by how beautiful women are and guys are total dorks. I can only think of 3-4 known males that I appreciate for being possibly attractive to women. I don’t “get” what women see at all. Makes me feel sorry for them.
but Gays seem to like yelling out about seeing hot men. I’d ask what are you reacting to but I can’t expect any translatable answer when I could not give you one for why I find women so attractive.
Ah, the mystery of sex. Good thing I like cappuccino as well.
A better question, that probably hasn’t been asked, is why is it that Christian icons are the only ones picked on by the advertisers? Are there just no suitable Wicca, Hebrew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Pagan, etc, icons to defile for the sake of deodorant sales? And would these advertisers even dare to take shots at some of these others, if they tend to go nuclear on their asses, for doing so? Christians might complain, now and then. And I’m sure they let a lot of stuff slide. Or the advertisers wouldn’t keep trying. But Christian generally don’t declare a holy war, over a Tv commercial, or comic strip, or newspaper illustration, etc. The way other religions do. Think about it. Frankly, I could care less about the whole thing. Calling attention to it, by having it removed, only spreads it more. And since this is South Africa, said objecting Christians are likely the Afrikaans sect. Generally the white extremists of land, that don’t object to Apartheid and such. A bunch of over privileged Dutch racists. Religious concerns aside, the ASA probably does whatever these tell them to do, anyway. So don’t blame all Christians for the actions of a bunch of spoiled well-to-doers.
My PBS station only runs programming that a bunch of elderly rich whites want to see. So its all reruns of 30 year old Britcoms daily, and Lawrence Welk on Sundays. Nothing too controversial, of mixed races. Like Red Dwarf, Chef, etc. The programming is really quite obviously biased to their tastes. It’s got nothing to do with their religion. Just them throwing their weight around. The rich getting what they paid for, at the rest of the viewers’ expense.
The models are VS angles not real angles. Anyone can see that. So why the outrage? It is a commercial for Christ’s sake. Get off your crosses build a bridge with it and get over it.
Angles, angels ah shit I give up. My spelling sucks.
Virtually every ad is incompatible with my belief that advertising should be honest!
So, the Bible Thumpers wonder: “A better question, that probably hasn’t been asked, is why is it that Christian icons are the only ones picked on by the advertisers?” //// Ummm–because this is a Christian Nation? Isn’t advertising MEANT to draw in the majority of the population?
Similarly—why was the ad run in English here in America but they switch to Spanish when shown in Spain? Why did they do that?????
These dopes that think this imaginary dogma explains the ultimate meaning of the universe ironically have difficulty understanding the basics?
Haw, HAW!!!!!
Stoopid Hoomans.
It is pretty much offensive in every respect to most people. Like their deodorant.
If you are a Christian you know that the Bible doesn’t even hint that angles have wings. None of the ones in it have wings. They don’t seem to be female either.
Um one of the girls came out of the basement. I suppose that was their idea of a fallen angel.
I’m only modestly bothered by such heathen junk.
Do-ill==if the bible doesn’t have female angles with wings then why would you take offense at all? Speaking of angles, I thought all those babes were acute.
Ha, ha. But as a mathematician, I’m only modestly bothered.
Some angels have wings. It’s just that they either have four or six wings. They are not used for flying though. Seems angels are strange looking and do not resemble beautiful women.
I am not offended by this commercial. Even if I was offended, they still should be ale to run the commercial.
deowll, if you’re going to be a Christian, you should really read the Bible more carefully, especially since it is the only authoritative (cough) source for your beliefs. The Old Testament describes the Ark of the Covenant as including in its construction two solid gold depictions of angels with their wings spreading upward. And when Solomon built his temple, there were wooden statues of angels inside the inner sanctuary, also with wings. There is no indication within the stories that these people knowingly produced false depictions of angels.
Of course, atheists know that angels are really fictitious beings, but within the mythology of the Bible, they were depicted with wings, probably for the benefit of those not lucky enough to have spotted one of these elusive creatures 😉
I’m a Christian and I don’t see why this commercial is offensive.
Shouldn’t most angels be about 80-90 years old?
BTW, John… conversations within conversations within conversations is very annoying. Also, it’s not worth the hassle to search all over for any new hidden posts. I liked the numbered format better. So easy to refer to a post by number and name… all in neat order.
Dvorak apparently doesn’t care, anymore.
Why aren’t there any male angels?
-because defiant woman sell product better.. ;p
-s
😛 new axe excite… even aholes will fall 😛
yeah that about sums it up
Anyone consider these may not be fallen angels but rather escaping virgins? Q’addafi just arrived…
BTW – I can’t think of a hell more intense than living with 72 virgins for all eternity. Give me a well worn ho or two that knows the way around a man.
OTOH – the suggestion that Muslim heaven is carnal while Christian heaven is all singing hosannas, could give a seeker pause…
I know you’ve heard it many times Animby but for those who haven’t:
You know why they call camels the ships of the desert?
Because they are filled with Arab Seamen. //// And no doubt a bit of Mohamed as well as the women are too dirty.
Poor Africa……..Its what our Congress wants us to look like but we started with so many resources, its taking longer than they thought.
VOTE ALL “NO NEW TAXES” POLITICIANS OUT OF OFFICE. Ha, ha. I am noting for the first time now several msnbc talking heads addressing the issue of STRUCTURAL UNEMPLOYMENT. No wild west to escape to.
Its gonna be worse than climate change I tells ya.
christians need to grow a pair and loose the thin skin..
its appropriate though… they blamed a woman for the “fall” of adam. -seems only appropriate that women be painted as the fallen angels… har har..
-s
I want that deodorant!!!!!!!!!