Community voices have been raised for some time over explicit outdoor advertising. Now the Australian Christian Lobby are campaigning specifically on this issue, to ensure “children and young people are able live in a caring and nurturing environment, protected from harm and exploitation”.

Image from ACL’s latest promotion video.

Sexually explicit material displayed across outdoor advertising, such as billboards and shopfront windows, is especially concerning for activists as it can’t be avoided by members of the public.

Despite campaigning and protests during 2010 and early 2011 for regulation of public advertising, in July 2011, the call for outdoor billboards to be G-rated was rejected by a parliamentary committee, which gave advertisers one last chance to clean up their act.

According to the Brisbane Times, Federal MP Graham Perrett, the committee chairman, said if the industry fails to lift its game by June 2013, the government will intervene.

Speaking about their current campaign, the ACL says, “The protection of children and the civility of our society is adversely affected when sexually explicit and inappropriate material pervades our outdoor advertising. Parents are unable to restrict the exposure of children to inappropriate images and slogans.”

Also of concern is the degradation of women portrayed by a selection of these billboards currently seen as acceptable, in accordance with the Advertising Standards Board Code of Ethics.

The ACL campaign is calling for the current self-regulation scheme to be re-assessed. “Legislation must be enacted to regulate outdoor and shopfront advertising to prevent the display of material that is sexually explicit, offensive and/or inappropriate for children. This important and urgent issue is of ongoing concern in the community.”

ACL has launched its second campaign video. Watch it here.