Shirtless man on billboard as Oldham company fights against ban

Artificial grass supplier Great Grass’ latest billboard reads ‘Great Abs, Great Grass’ underneath a male model with his shirt off.

A spokesperson for the company says they have had people come into the showroom praising the ads for ‘making their day’.

It’s the latest in the billboard saga, which started in autumn 2022 after advertising watchdog the ASA banned a billboard featuring a scantily clad woman lying on the grass above a slogan reading ‘Get laid by the best.’

The original sign also read ‘Artificial Grarse Experts.’

The ASA said three complaints challenged whether the ad was “offensive, harmful and irresponsible” due to its use of a near-naked model and sexually charged wording.

The original billboard (Image: SWNS)

The watchdog said the advert could not appear again “in its current form” and warned the company that its marketing material should be “socially responsible” in the future.

The full ruling can be read on the ASA website.

In response, Great Grass posted a new ad, stating ‘Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right.’

The second billboard (Image: Jack Fifield, Newsquest)

Now, a more recent ad featuring a male model has been posted.

A representative at Great Grass who asked to be identified as a spokesperson said: “The last one was a woman in a bikini – some women lie in a garden in a bikini, don’t they?

“And then it got complaints by whoever, so I thought, well if I put a man on it what will happen?

“And nothing’s happened, so it’s not much different other than the man not having swimming trunks on, so I just thought it would be a similar thing and no-one’s batted an eye, no-one’s complained.”

The spokesperson said the billboard costs £500 each time it’s changed, and that there will be another billboard ‘soon.’

The company says it has made more money out of the exposure generated by the billboards than it costs to put new billboards up.

The spokesperson added: “Four people complained out of, how many people at that junction – it’s one of the busiest junctions in Manchester.

“They go on social media and say you’re objectifying women, whatever that must be.

“So that’s what the argument is, but I don’t know what that means, people who moan, moan about everything, but they’re not moaning about a man lying on it – does that objectify men, I don’t know?

“It’s tongue-in-cheek and it’s a bit of fun.

“I can say that offends me, I could say that guy there with his abs out offends me, because I like to see men covered up, I could say I’m offended by the colour green – that’s taking it to the extreme, but you can be offended by anything now, can’t you?”