Oldham company fights back after ‘offensive’ billboard ban

Great Grass, whose original advert featuring a half-naked woman was banned by the UK's ad watchdog, also made fun of its critics, suggesting only four had complained.

The business, which adopts the title “ARTIFICIAL GRARSE EXPERTS”, took further aim at detractors, writing: “Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right”.

And they've even offered a discount for customers who weren't offended by the original advertisement.

The company’s first hoarding, erected last September, was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority, which said it “objectified and stereotyped women as sexual objects”.

The watchdog also noted that the word "arse" was a reference to the model's buttocks and had therefore made the exposed part of her body the "focus".

In a statement following their ruling, they said the advert, placed close to the company’s headquarters in Oldham, was “likely to cause serious offence.”

They added: “The ad must not appear again in its current form.

“We told Great Grass MCR Ltd t/a Great Grass to ensure their future ads were socially responsible and did not cause serious or widespread offence.”

In response, Great Grass said they’d used the slogan “Get laid by the best” in the past while adding there had only been three complaints at the time of the ruling.

And they therefore believed that most onlookers, which may have numbered in the thousands, were not offended but found it amusing.

They assumed further complaints were mostly generated by people on social media encouraging others who likely had not even seen it to raise concerns.

Great Grass also said that to assume that the person featured in the ad was a woman was wrong and offensive to the transgender community.

The company’s new ad campaign seems designed to ignite further divisions with its critics by offering those quoting the words “not offended” a ten per cent discount.