Naked Attraction London bus ads to be removed

Some people pointed out children could be travelling in the indicated seats

"Creepy" advertising on the sides of some London buses will be removed, Transport for London (TfL) has said.

TfL, Channel 4 and the Global media group were criticised on social media for the campaign, which included a suggestion the person in the top front seat "loves being naked".

The advert was described as "tone deaf" by many, with others saying it put passengers at risk of sexual assault.

There were also concerns children could be in the indicated seats.

Writer Tracy King raised the issue on Twitter, saying: "What the hell is this creepy bus ad? You can't just label non-consenting passengers like that. Does @Channel4 not know how many sexual assaults take place on buses?"

Ms King added: "The bar shouldn't be this low but can ad agencies perhaps start with 'does this concept afford the bus user basic dignity, privacy and autonomy?'".

A YouGov poll published at the beginning of 2020 indicated that more than half of women using public transport in the capital had been sexually harassed.

A TfL spokesperson said the organisation works to ensure public transport is a safe environment "and any report of sexual assault or inappropriate behaviour is investigated and treated extremely seriously".

The spokesperson added: "We have reviewed the ad campaign and decided that it should not continue to run on our bus network. It will be removed as soon as practicable."

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it had received 26 complaints about the advert.

In a statement the regulator said: "Specifically, complainants argue that the ad sexualizes members of the public and does so without their consent".

The adverts have also been seen on other buses around the country.

Reading Buses said it had specifically asked for the advert not to be placed on their buses, but some had still gone up.

A spokesperson for the company said: "Unfortunately we know that some adverts had already been installed and we are in the process of removing them as soon as possible."

Naked Attraction is a dating show on Channel 4, where nude participants are viewed by a potential date, who selects a companion and also strips.

A spokesperson for the channel said: "This ad is based on a Channel 4 entertainment programme. It was not our intention to cause offence and we apologise if it has done so."

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