Advertising Standards Authority: Pergola ad emphasising ‘easy erection’ removed after complaints

The ad spoke of the pergola's "easy erection" as a man gestured towards his crotch. Photo / 123rf

A man rubbing a pergola and speaking of its “easy erection” while gesturing towards his groin proved too much for some viewers, with the ad removed after multiple complaints to the advertising watchdog.

The ad promoting a Black Friday sale at online retailer Container Door sparked four complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) from viewers who saw it on both Facebook and the TVNZ+ platform.

One complainant wrote that the ad was “very disturbing” and the presenter acted “like a dirty old man”.

While the ASA referred the ad to its complaints board to consider whether it breached standards, Container Door “confirmed they had removed the advertisement and agreed not to use it again”, the decision says. The matter was settled and no adverse finding was made.

It is not known how many times the ad was played on both platforms, nor the exact date it was removed.

It’s not the first ad with sexual references that has been taken down recently, with a car dealership and a local council also facing complaints over their ads.

Last year Carterton District Council voluntarily removed an ad encouraging the public to keep their property boundaries tidy, asking in a graphic if you have “trimmed ya bush lately?”.

“You can’t walk past it without it tickling your leg and the postman has trouble reaching your box,” a caption alongside the ad read, posted by the council on social media.

Meanwhile, an Auckland car dealership was made to remove an ad that referenced a hybrid car with a “plug which matches the inserting action you’ve been getting”. The ad also said, “you’ll look like a Milf driving it”.

But it wasn’t the innuendo that required the ad to be removed, rather the comment that Portage Cars had “the easiest finance in the world”.

Container Door was approached for comment.

Ethan Griffiths covers crime and justice stories nationwide for Open Justice. He joined NZME in 2020, previously working as a regional reporter in Whanganui and South Taranaki.