KEY POINTS:
Large billboards that leave little to the imagination have drawn complaints, particularly from Auckland's Pacific community, which claims they are culturally insensitive.
The billboards offer "longer lasting sex" to men with erectile dysfunction.
They provide an 0800 number for people to get more information about "nasal delivery technology" from doctors at an Australian company, Advanced Medical Institute.
Tongan mother 'Eseta Funganitao, who has complained about the billboards, was shocked to see them when travelling with her young children in her car from Mangere.
Mrs Funganitao's 12-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son had seen the "ugly ad".
"It's not okay, especially when they are brought up in a Christian family," she said.
In her culture it was not allowed to discuss the subject of sex in front of a brother and sister together, and they would normally be separated for such purposes.
"Sex is tapu, sacred, not to be discussed publicly."
Mrs Funganitao, of Mt Roskill, has complained to the office of her local MP, Phil Goff, and to the Pacific Island Board in its role as an advocate of the Pacific community to the Auckland City Council.
She had also rung the 0800 number to complain to the company but got only a "rude" response.
Mrs Funganitao was also disturbed that the sign seemed to be encouraging everyone to have sex - which did not send an appropriate message to young people.
Asenati Lole-Taylor, chairwoman of the Pacific Island Board, said she had received complaints about the billboards from the Pacific community.
She said the billboards created discomfort and were an insensitive way to display the message. "If people have a problem they should be seeing their doctor."
Jackie Wilkinson, Auckland City Council's manager of service requests, said she had received many complaints, but the council had no power over the content of billboards.
Ms Wilkinson said former bylaws gave the council discretion but they were abandoned when it was decided the council should not be playing a subjective role.
The procedure was for complaints to be referred to the Advertising Standards Authority, which could rule billboards offensive. That would then be a breach of bylaws and allow removal.
Ms Wilkinson said of the billboards, "I don't think they are very nice."
Hilary Souter, the ASA executive director, said quite a lot of complaints had come in and the board had already met and made a decision which would be released shortly.
Ms Souter said the main issue was whether a billboard was an appropriate medium for the message, and the ASA had to consider issues of social responsibility.
Billboard complaints had been upheld before, she said.
The Australian company behind the billboards is defending their use.
Associate Professor Jack Vaifman, chief executive of Advanced Medical Institute, said erectile dysfunction was an important community issue.
"But it is taboo, so requires thought provoking advertisements."
Mr Vaifman said there were 140 complaints about the same billboards in Australia in 2007 and they were dismissed by the Australian Standards Board.
He said the company was sensitive to community attitudes, and hundreds of thousands of Australians and New Zealanders had been treated who would otherwise never have received help.
Phil Clemas, general manager of APN Outdoor, which supplied the billboards, said their content was always vetted and advice taken on any potentially controversial content.
APN Outdoor is a New Zealand company owned by APN News & Media, which owns the Herald.
Mr Clemas said the client had gone to Taps, the therapeutic advertising pre-vetting system, which had found nothing illegal in the billboards.
"I believe it's been blown out of proportion ... What's the problem with the word sex? It's in the dictionary and not even a swear word."
Mr Clemas said it was a bold advertisement designed to reach men.
He would be disappointed if the billboards had to be taken down, given that 30 per cent of men had erectile dysfunction.
Sites had been chosen to avoid high-risk locations such as near schools.
Two billboards had been erected on the Southwestern Motorway between Hillsborough and Auckland Airport, one on the Parnell railway bridge and another at the bottom of Stanley St.
They had been displayed for two to three weeks.
