SDG saddle ad to be subject of ASA complaint

Despite the advert clearly stating that the saddle in question was made from "genuine imitation tiger skin", Andrew Loman from Bristol thought it was irresponsible for BicycleBusiness to run the ad.

"I know you’ve got to raise money somehow, but this advert is in extremely bad taste," said Loman, a representative of EM&F, a business selling agency.

When it was pointed out to him that there was another ad in the series that featured a cow, Loman said this would be in equally bad taste.

Loman, a meat-eater, sees no problem with cows being slaughtered to tickle his taste buds and their skins butchered to make his leather shoes, but he doesn’t like them being depicted in adverts with saddle-shaped parts missing.

Darren Mabbott of Silverfish is a vegetarian and, in his university days, was a hunt saboteur. He said:

"To say that we’re somehow condoning the harming of animals is preposterous."

Loman, however, believes right is on his side:

"I shall be telling all my friends about how disgusting this advert is."

BicycleBusiness decided not to tell him that the next ad in the series features a leopard…