Bupa's recent cosmetic surgery advertising campaign may have gone pear-shaped following complaints from angry readers of womens' magazines.
Readers of New Woman, Cosmopolitan, She and Elle have complained that Bupa's advert, which showed a pear bearing the words “Want to change your shape? Bupa cosmetic surgery” was offensive.
The advert continued: “There are many reasons why you may want to change your appearance, from an imperfection that's always bothered you to simply getting back to your old self after having children.”
The Advertising Standards Autho-rity (ASA) said it had received several complaints alleging the advert was offensive for suggesting that being pear-shaped was wrong and encouraged a negative body image by playing on women's insecurity.
The complaint was not upheld, however. The ASA said the Bupa advert merely acknowledged that some people might want to change their appearance and it did not encourage a negative body image.
Bupa said it used the pear as an eye-catching device.
