Well this is totally ridiculous. A Yves Saint-Laurent’s Belle d’Opium perfume ad has been banned because, well, because the woman in the ad briefly points to her arm. Thirteen complaints were filed with Britain’s Advertising Standards Authority claiming the ad somehow encourages drug use. WTF?
Of course the fact the product is named Opium and the voiceover intones, “I am your addiction. I am Bell D’Opium,” could have something to do with the complaints.
Explaining the decision, the ASA said, “In the context of the ad, Belle running her finger down her inner arm could be seen to simulate the injection of opiates into the body.”
