Becks’ underwear commercial cleared by watchdog

London: David Beckham’s H and M ad, which shows the footballer in tight pants, has been cleared by the Advertising Standards Agency after three people claimed it was offensive.

Two of the three also said the advert was “irresponsible” and “unsuitable for children”. Ads showed the 36-year-old footie star modelling briefs for the chain’s Bodywear range, but H and M said its posters were aimed at adults. “Because the ad was for underwear, was not overtly sexual and didn’t have explicit nudity, it was not irresponsible,” the Mirror quoted the ASA as saying. Defending its promo, H and M said it was part of a campaign to launch David Beckham Bodywear and aimed to show the function and fit of the garment. The advertisement watchdog noted that there was no explicit nudity in the image and added that Beckham’s poses and facial expressions were “mildly sexual at most.” “While we acknowledged that some viewers might consider the images distasteful, we concluded the ad was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence,” the agency said. ANI