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Ad Standards has failed the industry, women and the wider TV-viewing audience in KFC ruling
Creative Director Chris Taylor slams Ad Standards in article for MumbrellaRead more
When 'ethical' funds invest in sexploitation
Take action!
So-called 'ethical' funds need to demonstrate their point of difference from other super funds.
Ask your super fund where it stands on shopping centre companies that host Honey Birdette's porn-themed ads. Points you may wish to make:
- Unwanted exposure to sexualised imagery is a form of sexual harassment and a violation of human rights
- Exposure to objectifying imagery is linked to tolerance of violence against women and a dimished view of women's worth and humanity
- Women feel unsafe in places where pornified imagery is displayed
- Boys absorb harmful attitudes from this imagery
Let us know how your fund responds.
I have been a client of Australian Ethical for a number of years now. I made the conscious choice to switch super funds in an effort to invest more responsibly. Their website says "We invest in companies to have a positive impact on the planet, people and animals. We agitate for change and that means taking a stance." This sounded great and seemed aligned to my values.
Until I realised that Australian Ethical invested in property. And this included Lendlease Group and Stockland who facilitate Honey Birdette's harmful hyper-sexualised advertising. The very advertising I have been campaigning against for years. And just so we are clear this is the type of advertising that Honey Birdette are pushing in the public domain to our kids. This is what Lendlease Group and Stockland are facilitating. This is what Australian Ethical are investing in. This is what my superannuation is funding.
Australian Ethical replied:
"We agree the advertising from Honey Birdette is concerning. They have breached the Australian Association of National Advertisers Code of Ethics 30 times since 2012 & shown general disregard toward compliance with the Code."
"We are engaging with Lendlease & Stocklands asking them to require Honey Birdette to comply with the Code for all advertising within their shopping centres."
"We invest in Lendlease because they develop & manage a range of properties including schools & hospitals & are considered a sector leader in sustainability. They're also one of the few companies in the industry to target large scale urban regeneration projects."
"Like all companies Lendlease has negative impacts which we take into account in our ethics assessment. But not every negative will mean a company is automatically ruled out for investment & in some cases we can have more of an impact engaging with them."
"We exclude over 60% of the ASX top 200 companies. The word ethical doesn't mean every company we invest in is perfect (in our experience perfect companies are rare). We look at the positives and negatives to assess if a company is, overall, aligned with our Ethical Charter."
Read more
Our best year ever! Wins and highlights of 2019
What a year! Our team is tired...but elated. This year has seen us achieve some of our biggest wins in our 10-year history: and you helped us do it.
Here are some of our wins and highlights from 2019:
Read more
Ad Standards gives green light to more sexualised ads
And ignores the global research in the process
The latest case reports from the ad industry's self regulatory body, Ad Standards, have been published and for the third month in a row Honey Birdette's porn themed ads have been given the green light for display in family friendly shopping centres.
The case report states:
"This poster image features the caption "Cage Bust out!" Image features a woman sitting on a chair with her legs apart leaning forward, and another woman leaning on the back of the chair behind her. Both women are wearing black strappy lingerie."
A sample of comments which the complainant/s made regarding this advertisement included the following:
"The ads were on display in high traffic areas of the malls. In one centre, the ads formed the backdrop for a children's Santa parade. The ads are highly sexualised and indistinguishable from an ad for the sex industry (eg strip venue) and unsuitable for display in general public space, let alone places where children are specifically invited to participate in activities. Moreover, people are working in these spaces- people who have a right to work without being exposed to sexualised imagery. The space does not belong to the advertiser and the advertiser has no right to impose its porn-themed ads onto an all-age, non-consenting audience who are not its customers."
The Ad Standards Community Panel noted the complainants' concerns that the advertisement:
- are highly sexualised
- resembles images that would be seen in porn publications
- is inappropriate to be seen in full view of children
The Panel considered that the woman on the left was bending over the chair and pushing her bottom out and that this was a sexualised pose. The Panel considered that the other woman was seated with her legs open and that this could also be considered a sexualised pose. The Panel determined that the advertisement did contain sexuality.
The Panel noted that the lingerie worn in the advertisement is available for purchase at Honey Birdette, however considered that products must still be advertised in a manner that is suitable for advertising on the front window of a store that is located in a shopping centre. The Panel determined that the advertisement did contain nudity.
The Panel considered that most members of the community would not find the level of nudity or sexuality in the advertisement confronting or inappropriate for a broad audience which would include children.
However the Ad Standards Community Panel fail to recognise the global research on sexually objectifying portrayals of women in advertising. This meta-analysis from 1995-2015 describes the harms:
The findings provided consistent evidence that both laboratory exposure and regular, everyday exposure to this content are directly associated with a range of consequences, including higher levels of body dissatisfaction, greater self-objectification, greater support of sexist beliefs and of adversarial sexual beliefs, and greater tolerance of sexual violence toward women. Moreover, experimental exposure to this content leads both women and men to have a diminished view of women's competence, morality, and humanity.
It is clear that the current model of self regulation within the Advertising Industry is grossly inadequate. Collective Shout will continue to campaign for change and advocate for a world free of sexploitation.Read more
Submission to AANA Code of Ethics Review
Collective Shout calls for stronger ad code of ethics to rein in harmful sexist advertising
Collective Shout has made a submission to the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) Code of Ethics Review. In this long-needed review, we highlighted the failings of the advertising self-regulatory system and the weaknesses of the existing Code. We also documented the growing body of evidence demonstrating the real-life harms of sexually objectifying portrayals of women.
We highlighted the double-standards of governments investing in violence-prevention initiatives while failing to address cultural drivers that normalizes – and even eroticises – this mistreatment:
While there is increasing recognition of issues related to violence against women, there is at the same time an increasing pornification of public space. Members of the public - including children - are conducting life's activities against a backdrop of sexualised images that objectify and demean women.
We also drew on recommendations from our submission to the AHRC Inquiry into Workplace Harassment, noting that sexualised imagery in advertising creates a hostile workplace environment and increases the likelihood of workplace sexual harassment. We stated:
[N]o Australian worker should be excluded from protections against sexual harassment in the workplace regardless of the fact that their employment duties are carried out in public spaces. It is a discredit to the advertising industry that people - women and girls in particular - are experiencing sexual harassment as a direct result of its failing system.
Just this week the AHRC released findings which underscored the importance of our recommendations to the AHRC inquiry and AANA review. The AHRC survey – conducted with the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) union - found that 'four per cent of workers had been sexually harassed because of an inappropriate marketing campaign by a retailer..[W]hen retailers did have a suggestive campaign, it led to one in five of their workers being sexually harassed'. (We have pointed out risks to women in previous ad campaigns, for example the time General Pants required staff to wear 'I Love Sex' badges).
We noted the inadequacy of the Code and its practice notes in the consideration of minors, that while these account for the way children are portrayed in advertising, they do not give proper attention to the way minors in the audience perceive advertising, or to the harms that ensue. We recommended that:
In the same way the Industry Practice Note prohibits the portrayal of minors in a sexualised way, it should also prohibit the exposure of minors to sexualised and sexually objectifying portrayals of others - particularly women - in advertising.
We further pointed out the inadequacies of the Code that accommodate the Ad Standards Community Panel's dismissal of complaints against porn-themed ads on the basis that the model "appears confident" or "in control", or due to stylistic elements like pixelation (to blur body parts) and flashing (where an ad is shown as a sequence of still images rotated at speed, rather than as a single, still image). We noted that such elements do not detract from the sexualised features of an ad and may actually enhance them.
Earlier this week, new research was released on community perceptions of gender portrayals in advertising which confirmed the normalising of sexist, degrading representations of women in advertising. This research supports the view we have held since we formed: that community welfare needs to come before the vested interests of the advertising industry.
Read our full submission here.
See also:
25 Reasons Why Ad Industry Self-Regulation is a Disaster
Why Australia Should Follow France's Lead on 'Degrading' Sexist Advertising
Read more
UK's Advertising Standards Authority takes a stand against objectification of women. Time for Australia to do the same.
A clothing brand Missguided has been told by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to not use advertising that objectifies women in future campaigns.Read more
Self-regulated advertising: How many more examples of failure do we need?
Image: (Left) 'Luna', Upheld by Ad Standards Community Panel, November 2018;
(Right) 'Janet', Dismissed without Panel Review, July 2019
Recently, I lodged a complaint with Ad Standards. Using its online complaint form, I reported a larger-than-life, porn-themed advertisement on display in my local shopping centre in Perth, WA. A week later, I received a notice from Ad Standards advising that while the ad was of concern to me, the Community Panel Chair considered that is was "an image of a woman in lingerie", and that my complaint was of the type that has been "consistently dismissed" by the Community Panel.
Naturally I was confused. The ad which was the subject of my latest complaint was virtually identical to another that the Panel had previously described as "sexually explicit"' and upheld complaints against. Once an ad is denied panel review there is no other avenue for having a complaint heard. I - the consumer - had hit a dead-end, thanks to an arbitrary and inconsistent approach to complaints.
This most recent example of failure of the self-regulatory system caused me to reflect on the long history of the body's double-standards, inconsistencies in ruling, and seeming inability to place community well-being ahead of the vested interests of corporations.
Ad Standards is the agency entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring advertising content meets community standards and aligns with the AANA Code of Ethics. Part of its role is to administer a self-regulated complaint-handling process. However, Ad Standards has a years-long documented history of failure to do its job.
For example, the sex industry has been free to promote porn and prostitution services to children. Oral sex and body-shaming slogans, and graphic porn-themed ads have passed Community Panel scrutiny. The Community Panel has trivialised children's exposure to sex shop porn-themed advertising, stating that the audience - which includes children - sees a "woman posing in underwear". When complaints have been upheld, it is often long after the ad has run its course and been replaced with new ads. Ads can remain on display weeks and even months after a ruling has been made because, while Ad Standards can give a verdict that an ad breaches Code, it can do nothing to have the ad taken down.
Image: Ad Standards dismisses complaints against graphic, porn-themed ad, July 2019
So, if Ad Standards can't do what it is supposed to – that is, protect the community from harmful advertising – what purpose does the complaints handling process serve? Why are concerned citizens continually stymied by the system? Eight years ago a Federal parliamentary committee acknowledged the failings of self-regulation and stated that in the event of sustained failure, a self-funded co-regulatory system would need to be examined. But nothing has been done to act on that and in the meantime Ad Standards perpetuates the ruse that self-regulation is working.
To back its claim, Ad Standards cites data from a self-commissioned 2017 report prepared by Deloitte Access Economics: "Assessing the benefits of a self-regulatory advertising complaints handling system". For example, CEO Fiona Jolly claims Ad Standards is "able to remove non-compliant content in a time frame that far exceeds any government regulator time frame". This claim is underpinned by Deloitte's research that compares Ad Standard's current self-regulatory system with a hypothetical, government-regulated system. Comparisons were made on measures of cost, compliance, efficiency, effectiveness and responsiveness. It claimed (based on this hypothetical) a self-regulated model performed better than the proposed alternative. Conclusion: Self-regulation is serving the interests of Australian consumers.
But it's not. Years-long, community-driven campaigns - necessary because of systemic flaws - demonstrate Ad Standards' serious shortcomings. We know that self-regulation fails the public and aids repeat offenders such as Honey Birdette, which has been deemed in breach of the Code 38 times at the time of writing. In the absence of penalties, advertisers which have no interest in upholding community standards are free to advertise how they like, when they like, for as long as they like.
How did a report that was supposed to assess the benefits of a self-regulatory advertising complaints handling system miss all this? Surely a thorough and objective assessment would have flagged such obvious, repetitious failings.
Advertising a 'low-risk' problem - a faulty premise
An immediately noticeable flaw in Deloitte's report is the assertion that advertising is a low-risk problem. Drawing from factors listed in the Best Practice Regulation Handbook, the report states that "advertising content that is not aligned with community standards is unlikely to put people in significant danger". The claim goes against a growing body of evidence drawn from global research that verifies harms of exposure to sexually objectifying imagery in advertising and media.
As our State and Federal Governments battle the scourge of violence against women, they are increasingly factoring in the real-life harms of exposure to this harmful imagery. The report's claims are entirely out of touch with contemporary understanding of the impacts of media and advertising on men, women and children.
System aids non-compliance while numbers hide it
Compliance measures how well advertisers cooperate with the self-regulated complaints-handling process. If an advertiser reports that the ad has been replaced with new ads, this is considered 'compliance' - even when the old ad was due to be replaced anyway, and regardless of the fact that the new ad may also breach the Code. In this way, Ad Standards aids and abets non-compliance, and - to its own advantage - calls it compliance.
Noting an overall rate of 80 per cent, the report tells us that compliance is "historically high", and that non-compliance is "unlikely". There's no qualification given to the idea that 80 percent is 'high'. Nor is due attention given to the fact that out of every 100 cases, 20 were incidents of non-compliance. Given that Ad Standards' job is to protect the community from non-compliant activity, a 20 percent failure rate should have raised red flags.
The report tells us that if not for one particular advertiser, Ad Standards' compliance rate would be as high as 94 percent. Imagine: non-compliers getting in the way of the notional benefits of self-regulation! It's the same as saying that Ad Standard's track record would be perfect, if only they didn't have to do their job. But casting off outliers is not the privilege of a body whose job is to deal with outliers. In a brief consideration of non-compliance, the report ponders the need for a "stronger form of incentive" for non-compliers. Legislation, it notes, might be used to "reinforce the self-regulatory scheme". Ultimately, the report uses the idea that most advertisers comply most of the time as grounds for rejecting the idea that stronger incentives are broadly or immediately needed. It fails to adequately consider the 2 out of 10 cases where advertisers do not comply, or what that means for the community. When non-compliance manifests as floor-to-ceiling public displays of pornified representations of women, or in public messages that advocate for women's rape and murder, there's no defense for dismissing the need for stronger incentives for recalcitrant advertisers.
When in amongst the 8 out of 10 compliers were advertisers whose modus operandi is to breach the Code, it is absurd to use compliance as a marker of the system's success. Statistics on compliance shouldn't hide non-compliance. And, rather than facilitating non-compliant behaviour, a successful system should have the means for stopping repeat offenders.
Arbitrary measures of 'Efficiency'
The report describes efficiency as "the proportion of complaints responded to, the time taken to first respond to a case, and the time to resolve a case (that is, determine whether the advertisement is appropriate, and if not, remove it from the public domain)." It includes a range of numbers of days from complaint received to case finalised that are interpreted as measures of efficiency. For example, over 95% of cases are resolved within 56 days; 99.8% of cases are resolved within 84 days. The report acknowledges the importance of quick resolution of complaints but gives no parameters for what 'quick resolution' actually is. To imply that a two-to-three-month time-frame for case resolution benefits the public seems absurd when it means that Code-breaching ads can remain on display for months at a time with no penalty for the advertisers.
Self-regulation in action: Ads remain on display weeks after being found in breach of Code (This one spotted at a Perth shopping centre during Easter holidays 2019, a month after Ad Standards upheld complaints against it)
Ad Standards lacks power to remove ads
Ad Standards has no means of removing any ads from any place at any time. What difference does it really make how long it takes for Ad Standards to review and rule on a case when they can't enforce a ruling? Ads are removed when advertisers decide to remove them.
There are instances in which Ad Standards can communicate with third-parties regarding breaches of Code, but in such cases, the removal of an ad from the public realm is only possible where regulations give the third-party power to remove it. This, of course, is an argument in favour of government regulatory measures – not self-regulation.
Regulation achieves what self-regulation cannot
At the time of the publication of Deloitte's award-winning report Ad Standards had upheld complaints against 60 separate Wicked Campers slogans for breaching the AANA Code of Ethics, with complaints dating back to 2008. Ad Standards' self-regulated model was powerless to procure compliance from Wicked Campers and essentially, for more than a decade, it facilitated the dissemination of rape, murder and torture messages in the public realm.
Now, after a decade of community-campaigner-driven petitions, lobbying, working with MPs, rounding up supporters, engaging media and exposing Wicked Campers there is at last a nation-wide agreement on a regulated approach that will stop Wicked Campers' serially abusive marketing tactics. This victory is a testament to community-driven campaigning. It is also a blow for self-regulation, demonstrating as it does the failure of the existing system to bring repeat offenders into line. Despite this, Ad Standards took to social media to commend itself on the outcome!
It is unethical and abusive to hold community members to a system that relies on invitations to advertisers to comply with the community standard, when advertisers have neither the goodwill nor inclination to accept. A new system is needed to procure compliance from délinquants en série like Wicked Campers and Honey Birdette. When recalcitrant advertisers finally feel the heat of enforced penalties, communities will at last start to see their standards upheld.
Image: Wicked Campers' rape and murder slogans facilitated by a self-regulated system for ten years
Rigorous research or marketing ploy?
Evidence shows that the current self-regulated complaints handling system not only fails to serve the public, it actually harms them. Deloitte's report reads like Ad Standards marketing spin. Rigorous research into the self-regulatory system would have paid greater attention to its blatant shortcomings and opened the door to addressing these. It would have considered the real impact these failings have on the community and recommended measures to stop repeat offenders. Instead, it is business as usual for the recalcitrants as the system works in their favour, and against the well-being of the rest of us.
See also: 25 Reasons why ad industry self-regulation is a disaster
Read more
Community Panel gives nod to Honey Birdette's porn-themed ads
In yet another display of inconsistent decision-making, the Ad Standards Community Panel has dismissed community complaints against a porn-inspired Honey Birdette ad. 'Belinda' features a series of close-up, head-to-chest shots of a woman wearing sheer, blue, mesh fabric. Despite the ad featuring graphic, sexualised imagery, the Community Panel made several unsubstantiated claims to ultimately conclude that the ad treated "sex, sexuality and nudity with sensitivity to the relevant audience" – one that includes kids.
With references to the length of time the images are shown for, the effects "lighting" and "framing" have on the ad, statements about featured body parts being relevant to the product being advertised, and an announcement that "most members of the community would not find the level of nudity in the advertisement confronting or inappropriate in the context of advertising a mesh bodysuit", the Community Panel gave the green light to this public display of porn-themed imagery to an all-age, non-consenting audience.
Portions of the report state:
The Panel considered whether the advertisement was in breach of Section 2.4 of the Code. Section 2.4 of the Code states: "Advertising or Marketing Communications shall treat sex, sexuality and nudity with sensitivity to the relevant audience". The Panel considered whether the advertisement contained sex, sexuality or nudity.
The Panel noted the Practice Note for the Code states:
"Images which are not permitted are those which are highly sexually suggestive and inappropriate for the relevant audience. Explicit sexual depictions in marcomms, particularly where the depiction is not relevant to the product or service being advertised, are generally objectionable to the community and will offend Prevailing Community Standards."
The Panel noted the complainant's concerns that the advertisement featured highly sexually suggestive images which resemble porn and which were inappropriate to be seen by children. The Panel considered whether the images depicted sex.
The Panel noted the dictionary definition of sex most relevant to this section of the Code of Ethics is 'sexual intercourse; sexually stimulating or suggestive behaviour.' (Macquarie Dictionary 2006).
The Panel considered that the depiction of a woman in revealing lingerie is not of itself a depiction of sexual intercourse, sexual stimulation or suggestive behaviour and that the advertisement as a whole did not contain sex.
The Panel considered whether the advertisement treated the issue of sexuality with sensitivity to the relevant audience.
The Panel noted the definition of sexuality includes 'sexual character, the physical fact of being either male or female; The state or fact of being heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual; sexual preference or orientation; one's capacity to experience and express sexual desire; the recognition or emphasising of sexual matters'. The Panel noted that the use of male or female actors in an advertisement is not of itself a depiction of sexuality.
The Panel considered that the style of lingerie being promoted was sexualised and that this did add an element of sexuality to the advertisement. The Panel considered that the depiction of the woman wearing this style of lingerie was relevant to the product being promoted. The Panel considered that although it is reasonable for an advertiser to depict the product being promoted, the depiction should be treated with sensitivity to the relevant audience. The Panel determined that the advertisement did contain sexuality.
The Panel considered the meaning of 'sensitive' and noted that the definition of sensitive in this context can be explained as indicating that 'if you are sensitive to other people's needs, problems, or feelings, you show understanding and awareness of them.' (https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/sensitive)
The Panel considered that the requirement to consider whether sexual suggestion is 'sensitive to the relevant audience' is a concept requiring them to consider who the relevant audience is and to have an understanding of how they might react to or feel about the advertisement – the concept of how subtle sexual suggestion is or might be is relevant to the Panel considering how children, and other sections of the community, might consider the advertisement.
The Panel noted that this image appears in store windows and considered that the relevant audience includes retail and service workers, people shopping in the Honey Birdette store and people who are not shopping at Honey Birdette but who are walking past the store, and that this last group would be broad and would include children.
The Panel considered that the flashing nature of the images may give the impression of a peep-show and added to the sexualised feel of the advertisement, however there was no focus on nudity or the woman's body and the overall impression of the advertisement was not strongly sexualised. The Panel considered that the woman in the advertisement was not posed in a sexualised manner and that the wording on the advertisement was not sexual. The Panel considered that while the flashing images may attract the attention of children and people walking past the store, the images themselves were not overtly sexual. The Panel considered that the advertisement did treat the issue of sexuality with sensitivity to the relevant audience.
The Panel noted the complainants' concern that the sheer material meant that there is a hyper focus on the woman's bare breasts that this is a level of nudity which is inappropriate for a public space where children could view the advertisement. The Panel considered whether the advertisement contained nudity and noted that the dictionary definition of nudity includes 'something nude or naked', and that nude and naked are defined to be 'unclothed and includes something 'without clothing or covering'. The Panel considered that the Code is intended for the Panel to consider the concept of nudity, and that partial nudity is factor when considering whether an advertisement firstly contains nudity and secondly treats that nudity with sensitivity to the relevant audience. The Panel noted that the bodysuit worn by the model in the advertisement was sheer and that her nipples are visible through the fabric in the images. The Panel noted that the lingerie worn in the advertisement is available for purchase at Honey Birdette, however considered that products must still be advertised in a manner that is suitable for advertising on the front window of a store that is located in a shopping centre.
The Panel considered the Practice Note for the Code which provides:
"Full frontal nudity and explicit pornographic language is not permitted. Images of genitalia are not acceptable. Images of nipples may be acceptable in advertisements for plastic surgery or art exhibits for example."
The Panel considered that in the first, second, third, fourth and fifth images the woman's breasts and nipples can be seen through the sheer fabric of her lingerie, however considered that the woman's nipples appeared to have been pixelated.
The Panel considered that the depiction of women's nipples does not in itself amount to an unacceptable level of nudity. The Panel noted that it had previously determined that advertisements which featured female nipples in a way which is discreet and not the focus of the advertisement (0543/18, 0134/19, 0157/19, 0174/19), when advertising to a restricted audience (0097/17, 0086/15, 0145/17) or when advertising a non-sexualised product (0290/14, 0103/12, 0276/10) and therefore did treat the issue of nudity with sensitivity to the relevant audience.
The Panel considered that a large sector of the community are uncomfortable with images of mostly naked female breasts however the Panel considered that the brief display of the woman's nipples were not the focus of the advertisement and were partially obscured by pixilation and were not the focus of the advertisement. The Panel considered that most members of the community would not find the level of nudity in the advertisement confronting or inappropriate in the context of advertising a mesh bodysuit.
The Panel determined the advertisement did treat sex, sexuality and nudity with sensitivity to the relevant audience and did not breach Section 2.4 of the Code.
Finding that the advertisement did not breach any other section of the Code, the Panel dismissed the complaint.
What do you think? Does this recent Community Panel decision reflect your community's standards? Tell us in the comments below.
Read the full Case Report here.
Morrison Government must fix Ad Standards mess
Collective Shout calls on the Morrison Government to take urgent action to fix the broken advertising self-regulatory system following yet another example of its failure.
Collective Shout has documented the fundamental weaknesses and systemic flaws of the current system, including no power to enforce rulings when breaches are found and the absence of any fines or other penalties even for repeated non-compliance. For example, sex store Honey Birdette – known for its porn-themed portrayals of women - has been found in breach of the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) Code of Ethics 38 times.
Wicked Campers has also ignored findings of breaches of the Code in 80 cases for their slogans, many advocating sexual violence.
Now the Ad Standards Community Panel Chair has refused to even send a complaint for review by the Community Panel.
Collective Shout campaigner and Corporate Social Responsibility advisor, Lyn Swanson Kennedy, was advised that her complaint would not be referred to the Community Panel even though an earlier complaint about an almost identical portrayal of a woman was upheld by the Panel. "The Panel Chair said my complaint was of the type that had been 'consistently dismissed' by the Community Panel," Swanson Kennedy said. "But late last year, the same Panel upheld complaints against an almost identical ad noting: "the sheer material of the bottom half of the bodysuit is transparent and the woman's pubic mound is clearly visible".
Image: (Left) 'Luna', Upheld by Ad Standards Community Panel, November 2018; (Right) 'Janet', Dismissed without Panel Review, July 2019
This is arbitrary and inconsistent. "How can one person be allowed to make this decision? What is the point of the Community Panel if they don't get to see the complaint and make a determination as a whole?" Swanson Kennedy said. "And what is the point of a 'community standard' when it can't be upheld?"
This example further highlights the need for a new advertising co-regulatory system that has real penalties to stop the harmful objectification of women, instead of the current dead-end complaints process. We need a genuinely independent review system separate from the vested commercial interests of the advertising industry, with enforcement powers to deal with repeat offenders.
Ad Standards panel Chair makes solo decision to approve Honey Birdette's revealing crotch ads
Refuses to submit complaints re porn styled image for review
Over many years, Collective Shout has drawn attention to the problems of our self-regulated advertising system. Recent experiences have caused us to focus on one particular stage of the complaints process: triage. At triage, the Ad Standards Community Panel Chair reviews a complaint and either dismisses it (effectively denying the complaint Panel review), or forwards it to the Panel for consideration and a ruling.
A week after lodging complaints about Honey Birdette's recent Janet bodysuit ads and receiving auto-reply emails confirming receipt of my complaints, I received another email from Ad Standards advising that while the images were of concern to me, the Community Panel Chair - considered that they featured "women in lingerie" and were to be of the type of ads that have been "consistently dismissed" by the Community Panel. Accordingly, complaints against the Janet bodysuit ads would not be forwarded to the Community Panel for review.
But late last year, the Ad Standards Community Panel upheld complaints against an almost identical ad, noting that:
"the sheer material of the bottom half of the bodysuit is transparent and the woman's pubic mound is clearly visible".
Image: (Left) 'Luna', Upheld by Ad Standards Community Panel, November 2018; (Right) 'Janet', Dismissed without Panel Review, July 2019
I raised this with Ad Standards and asked how the Janet bodysuit images that were stylistically identical to the Luna ad could be denied Panel review.
Another reply from Ad Standards ensued. It stated that while Ad Standards takes prior rulings into account, in the case of Janet, Luna was "not as relevant as it is a still image which allows more focus on the details of the image. In this instance the fast moving montage video does not allow for the same focus."
The Chair decided that flashing pubic mounds displayed in a montage of images (images that are indistinguishable from one that breached Australian Association of National Advertisers Code of Ethics in November 2018) were neither "overtly sexualised", nor did they comprise "inappropriate nudity". In essence, they single-handedly determined that ad for the Janet bodysuit was (to use Ad Standards' language) "appropriate for the broad audience that includes children".
This solo-made determination raises several questions.
- Where is the evidence that a montage doesn't allow for the same focus as a still image?
- Does the Chair have current data on the time required to cognitively process a viewed pubic mound?
- Why were the facts that several different images were used in sequence in the Janet bodysuit ad, and that the video paused for several seconds on the final image used as grounds for denying the ad Panel review, when taken as a whole the Janet bodysuit ad gave viewers plenty of time to make out features contained within?
- Is it plausible that the bright, flashy medium and fast pace at which images were rotated heightened - not lessened - a person's focus on the images?
- And what about Honey Birdette's new mode of video montage advertising, where images are shown on rotation at varying speeds?
- Will Honey Birdette ads here onwards escape Panel scrutiny because the Chair thinks that montage videos don't allow for the same focus as still images and are therefore appropriate for viewing by an all-age audience - even if pubic mounds are visible?
- Would Luna have met the same fate had it been shown as a flashy sequence of still images rather than a single, still-shot?
Still, the Chair rules. There's no getting around them. So, while Ad Standards boasts a diverse Community Panel, the Panel's value is lessened by the sheer fact that at times, members of the public are unable to access it. Do Panel members know about these cases that the Chair intercepts? Are triaged ads ever audited or given account for by other people?
And how does Ad Standards use the data on pre-Panel review dismissals? Do these numbers add to their aggregate data on compliance and help boost their defense of self-regulation?
Moreover, do I detect an air of gaslighting in Ad Standards' correspondence? They explained that when assessing a complaint under the "Consistently Dismissed" procedure, the Chair considers what a "reasonable member of the community would take from the advertisement". Are they insinuating that I - and other complainants who have their complaints dismissed prior to Panel Review - are not "reasonable" members of the community? This is concerning. Perhaps it's a means of discouraging us from lodging complaints in the future? I was determined to get a proper explanation of why my complaint against Janet was denied Panel Review while complaints against Luna were upheld, so I pursued communication with Ad Standards. Our inkling is that many people simply accept the Chair's kibosh on their complaints without rebuttal. It's complicated enough to go through the basic complaints process. Who, especially following advice that she is out of step with "reasonable" people, wants to stick her neck out further and attempt to defend her original complaint? And if Ad Standards thought I was unreasonable last time I complained, won't they think the same next time? Why bother lodging any more complaints? Gaslighting accomplished.
Of course, a triage process is needed. But a triage process that depends on the sensibilities of one person and that provides no avenue for challenge is neither robust nor fair. I accept Ad Standards' assertion - the Community Panel "can't possibly review every complaint". Ad Standards must meter its resources. But when denial of Panel Review demonstrates arbitrariness and inconsistency, and when it is based on refutable claims, members of the public should be able to raise a challenge.
The lunacy of Luna vs Janet demonstrates the need for a new regulatory system for our ad industry - one that stops the harmful, sexploitative advertising activities of repeat offenders like Honey Birdette and protects the public from dead-end complaints processes.
Read more


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Learn to interpret rocks and minerals and uncover the history of how our world was formed.
The geology of Huelva is one of the most important aspects of our natural heritage and one of the most forgotten. Discover the vestiges of the ancient collisions of continents, volcanic eruptions and periods when the sea covered this entire province. Walk on the ancient seabed and observe how the rocks have changed into fascinating formations and minerals.
This geology attracted ancient cultures like the Phoenicians and the Tartessians to these lands looking for minerals formed during the creation of the mountain range of the Sierra Morena. Visit the mines dating back to these times, mines which in turn opened the way for future civilisations to develop one of the most important mines in the peninsula, the Riotinto Mine.
Babel Nature offers guided geology walks at the hands of expert geologists and mining engineers.

subset: commoncrawl


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After becoming a mother herself last year, Raveena Tandon experienced how special it is to be a mother and this has shaped her views about the concern for animals in India. PETA has evidence that shows how young ones of animals are taken away from their mothers at very tender age without showing any concern to either of them. Though they are animals, they do have feelings and it is important for us to respect it. Raveena therefore has joined hands with PETA and has been urging people to stop such cruelty to animals. On Mothers' Day, the actress has been asking people to put a stop on the act of separating the animal mothers from their young ones. Raveena has been long known for her association with PETA and her efforts for the welfare of animals.
Raveenas concern for Animal Mothers on Mothers' Day
IndiaFM News Bureau


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The Information Commissioner has claimed that the discovery of confidential data on second hand computers was 'very worrying'.
Earlier revelations were made that information for missile defence, banking details and NHS records were found on old hard drives that were bought randomly at computer fairs and via an online auction site.
Speaking to Channel 4 News, Information Commissioner Richard Thomas said that the Lanarkshire NHS data being found was worrying and warned organisations who give away old computers to be 'really, really careful.'
Thomas told Channel 4 News: "We're very worried about the security of health records. Traditionally doctors have put the confidentiality of patient data at a very high level, and we welcome that.
"But we worry that more and more examples are coming to light where organisations within the health service have not been sufficiently careful; lost memory sticks, records being lost, laptops being lost, records being dumped in rubbish dumps and so on.
"As we move towards electronic health records across England we do have anxieties [and] we talk very closely with the NHS to ensure that they are taking security seriously but they've got to be very vigilant indeed to get security right."
He further claimed that the biggest danger was that companies probably did not realise that their computers still had valuable data on them.
"This makes it even more concerning that they allowed their computers to go onto the second hand market in the first place", said Thomas.


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HCG Diet Blog
Using the Crockpot for the HCG Diet
|November 25, 2015
Easy Peasy Crockpot for the HCG Diet
It is so nice to throw things in the crock pot and come home to a delicious meal that has been slowly cooking all day! I love that. The crockpot is a wonderful tool to break out on the HCG Diet. You can make soups, chicken breast, pot roast, etc all very quickly and easily. You will also have delicious leftovers to use for the following couple of days.
Crockpot Beef or Chicken for the HCG Diet
One of my all time favorite phase II HCG Diet meals is to place organic, free range chicken breast(s) in the crock pot and add a container or two of fresh salsa. If you buy it at the store, be sure all ingredients are organic and that there is no added sugars. I like to buy it as local and as clean and fresh as possible. Place these two ingredients in the crockpot and put in on low. I usually find that it is done in about 4-5 hours and it is delicious! The chicken flakes apart and it is a nice comfort meal. If you weigh your protein after when it is all cooked, you will want to shoot for the 2.8 ounce range.
With beef, you can get a nice lean cut of grass fed beef and place it in crockpot with about a cup of beef broth (low sodium, organic) and maybe a diced onion and celery. Place the crockpot on low and cook 6 hours or so. Again, it should flake apart when you are finished. If you weigh this in the cooked form it will be about 2.8 to 3 ounces per serving.
Crockpot soups for the HCG Diet
This is a wonderful way to get your veggies in! Place any phase II HCG Diet friendly organic vegetables in the crockpot and add as many cups of water or vegetable broth (low sodium, organic). I also like to spice mine up to taste. Add in whatever spices you like -- every palate is different when it comes to spice! When it is done, you can blend half of the soup to make it thick and creamy or enjoy it as is. My favorite veggies for the soup are cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, asparagus, fennel, onions and celery!
Return to HCG Diet Blog Main Page


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Gold Foil Seamless Geometric Patterns
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This is the main entry page for listing a variety of articles and graphics related to Russian campaigns and battles. These include wars of Dmitri Donskoi Ivan IV, Peter I and others. But the large directory on the 1812 campaign and battle of Borodino is separate. So also are the sections on Suvorov and Kutuzov.
This illustration from Razin depicts the annual 'inspection' of the artillery with Tsar Ivan IV watching closely. The target would be walls of ice or blocks to be pulverized by the shot.
Illustration of Muscovite artillery in action.
Illustration of Muscovite artillery in action.
Review by John Sloan of the book - The Founding of Russia's Navy: Peter the Great and the Azov Fleet, 1688-1714, by Edward J. Phillips,
"K istorii voyenno morskogo sudostroyeniya" "Toward the history of military-naval construction" Tushin, Yu. Lt Col. Voyenno istoricheskii Zhurnal, #8, Aug 1970. pp 101-104 - translation of summary of the article
Order of battle typical for medieval Muscovite armies. The equivalent polki of subordinate leaders would frequently be distributed to the various polki of the main army when they were united. While 'polk' in modern Russian is translated as 'regiment', the medieval formation was not a regular unit let alone a regiment - rather it was like the western 'battle'.
The typical layout of a Mongol army as recorded in the sources. Presumably it was more or less in this kind of formation that Mamai advanced into battle.
A typical Muscovite march formation for march through open country on the steppe.
Map from Beskrovni atlas of Russian military history depicting the standard view of how the battle was conducted by both sides. This has come under some critical analysis recently. Note also that Beskrovni does NOT show any Genoese infantry, an error so many other authors make.
This map from Beskrovni's atlas shows the standard view of the campaign. The strengths and losses are those recorded in some chronicles but are vastly inflated. Likewise, the very location of the battle has been questioned recently. We will provide more on this later.
This map from Beskrovni's atlas depicts the various fortified lines constructed during the reigns of Ivan IV and Boris Gudunov. And the opposing Tatar campaign routes from Crimea. "Shore duty" was the term used to describe the annual assignment of Muscovite troops to occupy frontier posts and perform mobile patrols along the Oka River.
Great Northern War - bibliography compiled by John Sloan - This list was creaed 8 years ago now and will be increased when I have time.
This schematic depicts a section of the prefabricated and portable Muscovite wooden fortress used in field operations to shelter artillery and streltzi gunners. This one is on runners for use in snow.
This schematic shows a section of the gulai gorod on wheels for use in summer. The openings are for streltzi hand gunners. This innovation provided protection from Tatar cavalry.
This diagram depicts a layout of an entire gulai gorod with the individual panels connected to form an all-around defensive work. This not only served as a mobile protection for the infantry and artillery, but also as a base of fire and operations at which cavalry could rally and form for counterattacks.
THE MUSCOVITE ARMY OF IVAN IV, THE TERRIBLE by Dr. Dianne Smith
The Sixteenth Century Muscovite Army Dr. Lt.Col. Dianne Smith 24 January 1984 - This is a different version of information about the Muscovite army.
Review of book - Ivan the Terrible: A military history, by Alexander Filjushkin - reviewed by John Sloan
Review of book - Warfare, State and Socieety on the Black Sea Steppe, 1500 - 1700 by Brian L. Davies - reviewed by John Sloan
Review of book - Russia's Wars of Emergence 1460 - 1730, by Carol B. Stevens - review by John Sloan
This schematic drawing depicts the wooden siege tower fitted with artillery and small arms used at the siege of Kazan in 1552. A model of the tower can be seen in the diorama of the siege at the Museum of Artillery in St Petersburg.
This map from Beskrovni's Atlas of Russian military history shows the routes of the Muscovite armies from Moscow to Kazan. One section was diverted temporarily south by the incursion of the Crimean Tatars around Tula and Kashira. We see that the lead or advance polk, the great or main polk and the right arm polk traveled by the southern route across country through Ryazan, while the left arm polk and the Tsar's peresonal druzhina went via Vladimir and Murom. They reached the Volga at the fortress built on an island at Sviyazhsk where they met supplies and artillery brought down the river by barge.
The Battle of Kletzk against Swedish Forces. A Journal by S. P. Neplynyev, April 19, 1706 by N. N. Ogloblin - an article on this relatively obscure engagment
Kulikovo Battle - bibliography compiled by John Sloan
Large mural depicting the Muscovite host at the Kulikovo Battle - it is on the wall in the entrance area of the MOD uniform museum
Kulikovo battle - preliminary main page for description of this battle.
Map from Beskrovni's atlas of Russian military history. These are the campaigns ordered by Ivan IV for the years shown. We are preparing text history of this war.
These are the campaigns for the years shown. Ivan IV in 1563, Magnus in 1570, Ivan IV in 1572 and 1577, Stephan Bathori in 1579-81 and Delagarde in 1581.
Typical march order for an army or section of an army moving in enemy or unknown territory.
Battle of Bortenovo - 22 DEC. 1317 - description by John Sloan
Detail of the large painting on wall of museum in Tver - it depicts the victory of Tver over Moscow at Bortenovo on 22 December 1317.
Detail of the large painting on wall of museum in Tver - it depicts the victory of Tver over Moscow at Bortenovo on 22 December 1317.
Detail of the large painting on wall of museum in Tver - it depicts the victory of Tver over Moscow at Bortenovo on 22 December 1317.
Detail of the large painting on wall of museum in Tver - it depicts the victory of Tver over Moscow at Bortenovo on 22 December 1317.
Detail of the large painting on wall of museum in Tver - it depicts the victory of Tver over Moscow at Bortenovo on 22 December 1317.
This diagram shows the administrative organization for comand and control of the Muscovite armed forces.
GREAT NORTHERN WAR Telpukhovski, Col. B. S. - first part of the book, translated by John Sloan
Brief history of the Peter and Paul fortress
This map shows the first Russian assault on the Turkish garrison at Plevna on 20 July 1877.
"Plevna" - article from the 11th Edition, Encyclopedia Britannicavol. 21 pp. 838-840 John Henry Verrinder Crowe
This map from Beskrovni depicts the third Russian attack during their siege of Plevna during the Russo-Turkish war.
This map from Beskrovni depicts the second Russian attack during their siege of Plevna during the Russo-Turkish war.
This map accompanies the article on Plevna in the Encyclopedia Britannica
THE BATTLE OF POLTAVA: The Birth of the Russian Empire Author, Peter Englund, translator, Peter Hale, London, Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1992 (Originally published in Swedish in 1988 under title Poltava) Review: by John Sloan
This is a memorial monument for Poltava battle
A monument - memorial to the Russian victory at Poltava in 1709
A painting depicting Peter I victorious at Poltava in 1709
Russia Wars 1450 - 1800 a set of tables showing the wars and campaigns of Russia (Muskovy) compiled by John Sloan
Wars of the 15th century - The appearance of the same color as a polity in that line means a civil war - eg several Russian civil wars. Otherwise the colors are cross linked so one might note the wars between Muscovy and Kazan show in the same years on both lines. We began this listing at 1450, but plan on tracing wars back to at least 1200.
Wars of the16th century - This cross listing of the wars year by year well illustrates the strategic problem facing Ivan IV with enemies on several fronts.
Wars of the 17th century - The cross posting shows the disaster that faced Russia during the "Time of troubles" at the beginning of the century. For the rest of the century, apart from the Smolensk war with Poland the main concern was the Crimean Tatars, who also clearly applied themselves against a variety of foes.
Wars of the 18th century - The 18th century turned out to be more peaceful than prior periods. But the wars were larger and more formal in scope. There were the Great Northern war with Sweden, the war with Persia, the Seven Year's War with Prussia, and two wars with the Ottoman Empire. During the last of these Russia completed the conquest of Crimea (not shown separately)
This illustration from Razin depicts streltzi repelling a Tatar cavalry attack from behind a temporary line of sacks.
This illustration from Razin depicts streltzi pulling sled mounted sections of the gulai gorod into place and locking them together.
An illustration from Razin showing a winter 'inspection' of streltzi with the tsar seated at the rear. The arquebusiers would fire at the ice wall until it was destroyed. Note how they use the berdish as a rest for the heavy arquebus.
The Strelzi (1550 - 1705) by: Richard L. Sanders
The Cossack Military System as Described by The Sieur de Beuplan - an essay by Steven Stinemetz
Illustration showing the use of the gulai gorod palisade as a base of fire and rally point in the field. The cavalry is effective for mobile operations mainly in attack but cannot form a defensive position very well without dismounting. But the infantry would be very vulnerable to enemy cavalry if left out in the open.
This map depicts the Russian fortified frontier lines and the Tatar raids of the 1630's.
This map depicts the fortified Russian frontier lines and the Tatar raids of 1643-47.
This map from Beskrovni's Atlas of Russian military history shows in blue the typical attack routes from Crimea. The Nogai Tatars had other routes nearer the Volga. It shows in solid red the first defensive lines as of 1571 and in dotted red some of the later lines up to the reign of Boris Gudunov. More extensive and elaborate defensive lines were built further south during the first half of the 17th century.
This diagramatic map depicts Stephan Bathory's unsuccessful siege of Pskov during the Livonian War.
The Battle at the Kalka River
"Russo-Turkish Wars" by John Henry Verrinder Crowe, 11th edition Encyclopedia Britannica, vol 23, ppg 931-936
Russo-Japanese War - 11th edition, Encyclopedia Britannica, vol 23, pgs 919-930


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Below is a sitemap of our website; use it to help navigate through our site's pages.
If you still cannot find what you are looking for, then feel free to get in touch using our contact form above.
Latest News
© Copyright Berkshire Garage Doors 2020 - All Rights Reserved. - W3C valid xHTML and CSS.


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Grampians National Park Tour & Kangaroos Tour
What you will do
- Grampians National Park: Visit one of the world's oldest and most spectacular mountain ranges. The Grampians has a lot of Aboriginal history and you can find wildlife all over the place.
- Morning Tea: Enjoy some complimentary morning tea while enjoying the stunning nature of Grampians National Park.
- The Brambuk Aboriginal Cultural Centre: Learn about the history and culture of the local Aboriginal people.
- Halls Gap: Discover the beautiful town of Halls Gap, the heart of the Grampians nestled in between the surounding mountains of the mighty Grampians National Park.
- Wild Kangaroos: lookout for wild Kangaroos, Emus, Echidnas, Birds and Lizards as you explore the Grampians National Park.
- Boroka Lookout: Experience breathtaking mountain views from Boroka Lookout point.
- MacKenzie Falls or Silverband Falls: Cool down at one of the Grampians beautiful waterfalls.
- The Balconies: Join us on a guided hike to check out the majestic views of the spectacular Grampians from the Jaws of Death lookout.
- Return to Melbourne: Relax on your way back to Melbourne, stopping along the way for dinner (at own expense).
- Morning Tea
- Park entry fees
- Wildlife viewing
- A friendly & informative tour guide
- Inner city hotel pick up and drop off
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday; Between 7 am – 8 am
1 day
: Water, hat, sunscreen, comfortable walking shoes, warm and cool clothing, rain jacket, camera and a sense of adventure!
Victoria, Australia
Provided byWildlife Tours Australia
Wildlife Tours Australia has been entertaining travellers since 1996 and is one of the most experienced small group tour operators in Melbourne. We operate all year round and specialise in 1, 2 & 3 day small group adventures. We cover most of Victoria's premier sightseeing destinations, including: Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island Penguin Parade, The Grampians National Park, Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne to Adelaide Tours.
We place a strong emphasis on incorporating Australian Wildlife into our tours, as we believe this is one of the things that makes Australia so special! Wildlife Tours Australia operates smaller modern vehicles in order to provide our passengers with a more personalised, higher quality experience.
We believe travelling in a group is better than being lost in a crowd, that's why we don't squeeze you in amongst 50 other people! We endeavour to get to know all of our passengers on a first name basis, and firmly believe in enjoying the journey as well as the highlights.
The only thing we love more than our beautiful country is being able to show it off to our guests. That's why when you travel with Wildlife Tours you know you're going to get a guide who is just as enthusiastic about the tour as you are!
Terms & Conditions
- The coupon will be valid for 12 months from the purchase date.
- General cancellation policy applies.
- This coupon is under general terms and conditions.


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Spring 2011
April '11
As I am writing this the sun is shinning and it is about 70 degrees outside. I should be out there and enjoying the beautiful weather and "Spring". But first I just wanted to make sure that for some of you who have been asking about when to start your annual flea and tick treatments I hope you've started. Now that the snow has melted ticks are out there! I have already seen several on a few of our 4 legged friends. So, be aware that tick season is here.
Mosquitoes, not yet here in the "hills". So, you don't have to start heartworm medication but probably by the end or the month or for sure by the end of May.
Have a happy and safe Spring.


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Hello and welcome to the Swisscanto Foundations.
Our group consists of three foundations. The Swisscanto Collective Foundation was founded in 1973. Subsequently the Supra Collective Foundation and the Swisscanto Vested Benefits Foundation were established. The Swisscanto Collective Foundation provides basic occupational benefit scheme coverage, the Swisscanto Supra Collective Foundation offers supplementary solutions for middle management employee benefit schemes. The Swisscanto Vested Benefits Foundation is designed for people who leave a pension fund without having a new job in order to maintain their old-age savings in a vested benefits account.
Since the establishment, the focus of our foundations has always been on the individuals. We offer our customers efficient services related to employee benefit schemes. The careful, responsible and sustainable handling of the pension assets entrusted to us is the foremost priority. Up until today around 6'000 companies from a wide variety of sectors, with approximately 68'000 insured persons, have trusted us. That makes us proud, and thanks to this trust, we have become one of the most important providers in the employee benefits segment in Switzerland. In addition, about 52'000 people have already opened a vested benefits account with us. Every day our employees in all three foundations work with great care and a lot of passion to ensure that the needs of our customers can be met.
The pension specialists for small and large companies
The offers made by the Swisscanto Collective Foundations are geared towards companies which cannot or do not wish to set up and operate their own employee benefits foundation, due to their size, for administrative reasons or because of the high level of complexity of this topic,. We offer our customers high quality services with attractive conditions. Do not let the term "collective" foundation confuse you. Because even though we serve as a pension fund for many companies of all sizes, we still view each company individually. We offer our customers comprehensible and transparent benefit plans, so that you and your employees can always maintain an overview. After all, life is already complicated enough as it is. An understandable employee benefit scheme that is perfectly aligned to the needs of your company, is our goal.
Transparent and fair
The values of the Swisscanto foundations include transparency and fairness. And these words are not just catchwords for us. Transparent – this is how we have designed our investment area: We regularly publish the funding ratio of the collective foundations as well as the asset allocation and the performance for our customers. You can view the current status of the Swisscanto collective foundations at any time, so that you know what is happening with your pension assets.
For us "fairness" is not just a word, we live this reality: By conviction, our Board of foundation endeavours to achieve the same amount of interest for the old-age savings of all of our actively insured persons, as used mathematically for the interest on the assets from which pensions are already being drawn. And if the results allow us, we also adjust the contributions which our customers must pay for the occupational benefit scheme.
Where to find us
This section lists all areas of responsibilities for the Business Centre Basel and the customer service centers.
Business Centre Basel
St. Alban-Anlage 26
Postfach 3855
4002 Basel
Phone +41 58 280 26 66
Fax +41 58 280 17 00
Management collective Foundations
Davide Pezzetta
Managing Director Swisscanto Foundations
Phone +41 58 280 18 40
Ulrike Bühler
Head Underwriting
Phone +41 58 280 14 12
Gregor Konieczny
Head Sales & Consulting
Phone +41 58 280 16 58
Michael Maxelon
Head Customer Services
Phone +41 58 280 10 97
Eva Mung
Phone +41 58 280 21 27
Caroline Kresta
Managing Director Vested Benefits Foundation
Phone +41 58 280 19 10
Distribution Center Northwest Switzerland
St. Alban-Anlage 26
PO Box 3855
4002 Basel
Phone +41 58 280 26 66
Fax +41 58 280 17 00
Distribution Center Western
Switzerland/Romandie and Ticino
Rue du Concert 6
Case postale 3109
2001 Neuchâtel
Phone +41 58 280 26 66
Fax. +41 58 280 17 00
Distribution Center Zurich,
Eastern & Central Switzerland
Zürichstrasse 130
8600 Dübendorf
Phone +41 58 280 26 66
Fax. +41 58 280 17 00
Vested Benefits Foundation
Telefon +41 58 280 11 55
Fax. +41 58 280 29 38
Caroline Kresta
Managing Director
Phone +41 58 280 19 10
Elena Schneider
Deputy Managing Director
Phone +41 58 280 20 04
Maria Seminara
Deputy Managing Director
Phone +41 58 280 23 80
Pompea Castaldo
Client advisor
Phone +41 58 280 17 02
Lea Marmet
Client advisor
Phone +41 58 280 17 70
Céline Meier
Client advisor
Phone: +41 58 280 22 79
Laura Mung
Client advisor
Phone: +41 58 280 15 37
Lorenzo Sibilia
Client advisor
Phone +41 58 280 22 16
Helpful Links
Swiss Insurance Association ASIP
Swiss Insurance Association ASA/SVV
Federal Authority
Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority
BSABB (BVG- und Stiftungsaufsicht beider Basel)
Federal law
Association of Swiss Cantonal Banks
Social Insurances
Swisscanto Collective Foundations
St. Alban-Anlage 26
PO Box 3855
4002 Basel
Phone +41 58 280 26 66
IBAN Swisscanto Collective Foundation:
IBAN Supra Collective Foundation:
Swisscanto Vested Benefits Foundation
St. Alban-Anlage 26
PO Box 3855
4002 Basel
Phone +41 58 280 11 55


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Please Call for Best Price!
Designed for serious runners who really need to stretch out, the Landice L8 treadmill offers the most spacious running surface in the industry. With a 22-inch wide by 63-inch long running surface, the L8 is ideal for runners over 6 feet tall, marathoners, triathletes, and competitive runners who want the added space to simulate a true outdoor training experience.
L8 Treadmill Highlights
Soft styling enables the L8 treadmill to blend into any environment, but don't be fooled by its refined looks and whisper-quiet operations. The L8 treadmill features a four-horsepower continuous-duty drive motor ranging in speed from 0.5 to 12.0 mph. The rust-free aluminum frame contains a 1-inch thick, maintenance-free reversible deck, capable of reaching a 15% elevation.
The Executive Control Panel
The Executive Control Panel features a 9" screen and 800x480 graphics capabilities designed to keep you entertained and engaged no matter what level of exercise you do. Navigate intuitively with a touch of the hand. Swipe left, right, up and down to reach various programs, profiles and screens. Tap the home icon and return to the main menu to see all your workout options and settings.
Features include:
- Workout Feedback: Time, Heart Rate, Distance, Calories, Calories/HR, METs, Incline, Speed, Pace, Lap Time, Laps, Clock, Zone Time, Average Pulse, Pulse, Altitude, Climb Rates
- 5 Road Screens: City, Beach, Desert, Lake, Mountain
- 1 Track
- 6 Climbing Landmarks: Statue of Liberty, Washington Monument, Seattle Space Needle, Eiffel Tower, Empire State Building, Freedom Tower
- 5 Built-in: Intermediate, Advanced, Interval, Fat Burn, Endurance
- 5 User-defined programs (residential models only)
- 6 Fitness: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Firefighter, Balke
- 3 Goal Program: Distance, Time, Calories
- Express Speed and Incline keys
- 5 Race Programs: ½, Mile, 2 Miles, 5K, 10K
- 2 Heart Rate Programs: Heart Rate Control, Interval Heart Rate Control
- 5 Individual User Setups (residential models only)
- 5 Individual User Heart Rate Control Setups (residential models only)
- Interactive contact heart rate and wireless-chest-strap heart-rate monitoring system
- Displays data in English or Metric configurations
- Bluetooth connectivity
L8 Specifications
- 4 HP continuous duty drive motor
- 1000 pound-thrust elevation motor
- Rust-free aluminum frame
- Cast aluminum side rails and end-caps
- 3 1/2" diameter, 22-pound steel rollers
- 1-inch thick, maintenance-free reversible deck
- 35" x 83" footprint
- Shipping weight: 435 pounds
- Voltage: 110 VAC, 60Hz, 15A
- Choice of four control panels
- 0.5 to 12.0 mph speed range
- 15% grade electric elevation
- 22" x 63" running area
- 500 pound user weight capacity


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Zeppelin Rental - B2B Online Rental Shop
Zeppelin Rental provides customized solutions in the areas of equipment rental services, construction logistics and temporary infrastructure. More than 62,000 rental machines and pieces of equipment ensure ultimate availability and variety.
The website of Zeppelin Rental GmbH & Co. KG became a top "Selling Engine": with just a few clicks you can put articles into the shoppig basket with reference to the construction site, rental period and delivery option. The application not only shows every rent article available, it also offers a direct mobile radius search to find the closest rental station. An interface between the online rental shop and the ERP system ensures real-time availability, individual terms and conditions and a most accurate transport cost calculation. Sub-shops enable new divisions plus an internationalization of the platform.


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- This event has passed.
One Night with Conway~A Tribute to Conway Twitty with Gil Grand$38
Gil Grand puts on a phenomenal 90 minute performance packed with over 20 of Conway Twitty's hit songs. Mixed in are interviews with fellow artists who have worked with Conway over the years. The voice resemblance is amazing; nobody has come as close to the real thing as Gil achieves in this well produced event. He brings class and originality
to every one of his performances.


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$100.00 – $250.00
Shown here "medium"
"Andromeda is moody and magical. Perfect for those who who like a more muted, or masculine taste. This is a fabulous arrangement for any coffee or bedside table."
Because we use the freshest flowers from our NYC flower market, arrangements may not be identical as pictured due to seasonality and/or market availability. We may substitute a similar element of equal or greater value to achieve the look and feel of the arrangement featured.


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Obviously, the national security experts advising Prime Minister Stephen Harper are not doing a good job. They seem to be whispering new measures into his ears -- from the outside these might look new, innovative and effective in fighting terrorism, but in reality when you get closer and on further examination, they're nothing more than recycled old measures that already exist, hidden in the multiple layers of successive anti-terrorist laws that have been adopted since 9/11.
Of course that doesn't necessarily make the Anti-terrorism Act 2015 (ATA 2015) look any better, but it makes the prime minister look redundant in his rhetoric and frankly, not very well advised.
Perhaps I am wrong in my quick judgment and it's the communication staff suggesting these re-packaged anti-terrorist measures, to make them better suited for an election context, "punchier" and more dramatic. I don't know.
So either national security experts or his communication staff advised Stephen Harper to declare that if re-elected, he would introduce a ban on travel to regions of the world controlled by terrorists.
My point here isn't to prove how unconstitutional or how flawed this promised new measure is. As, indeed, I totally believe it is. The proposed measure not only restricts the mobility rights of individuals but also aligns Canada with dictatorships that stop their citizens from leaving their home countries to travel to destinations of their choice.
With this logic stretched a bit, are we going to soon expect a travel ban on popular "pedophile destinations" or a ban on "sex tourism destinations" or maybe even a ban on "wedding destinations" since travelling to Cuba or Mexico or Las Vegas to have your wedding might be considered by some as helping the economy of other countries while harming our own economy?
So now let's go back to the first question: what makes this measure redundant?
Last January, the Conservative government introduced Bill C-51, now known as the Anti-terrorism Act 2015. This law enacted a new piece of legislation named the Secure Air Travel Act. This new legislation would allow the extension of the Canadian "no-fly" list, already established in 2007 under the Passenger Protect Program (PPP). In the PPP, Transport Canada shares information with air carriers about passengers -- including name, date of birth, and gender -- on the "Specified Person List." This list is established by intelligence officers, police officers and senior bureaucrats who meet at regular periods and make their recommendations to the public safety minister. If the carriers find a passenger matching the list provided by Transport Canada, then they are bound by law to inform the transport minister, who might decide to issue an "emergency direction" -- only if she thinks there is a threat to aviation or public safety. That is the old system.
With the ATA 2015 and under the new provision pertaining to travel, the same list will remain in effect, but it will include the name, date of birth, and gender of any person that the public safety minister:
"has reasonable ground to suspect will engage or attempt to engage in an act that would threaten transportation security or travel by air for the purpose of committing an act or omission that is an offence under certain sections of the Criminal Code, including participation in an activity of a terrorist group, facilitation of terrorist activity, or the commission of an offence for a terrorist group."
With the new legislation you don't need to pose a threat to the plane itself -- you can be added to the list and thus prevented from travelling if there is reasonable ground to suspect that you are travelling to commit a terrorist act abroad.
But even without ATA 2015, such a measure of banning someone from travelling to areas controlled by terrorist groups already existed in Canada's Criminal Code.
In 2011, Somali-Canadian Mohamed Hassan Hersi, designated in the media as a "terror tourist," was arrested at the Toronto airport, prosecuted, and in 2014, sentenced for trying to leave Canada to join a militant group, al-Shabab, in Somalia. Despite all the lingering questions around the circumstances that led to Hersi's decision to leave Canada, his possible entrapment and radicalization by an undercover police officer who befriended him, Hersi was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
He is the first Canadian to be convicted of joining an overseas terrorist group. Hersi was not even charged under the amended Criminal Code of 2013 (the Combatting Terrorism Act or Bill S-7) -- he was charged under the Anti-terrorism Act 2001. So that would prove we don't need Bill S-7, Bill C-51 or even this new measure contemplated by Stephen Harper. Canadian judges already have all the necessary legal tools needed to prevent people from travelling to undesirable destinations.
In the Maclean's leaders debate, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May told Stephen Harper that whoever advised him that it's constitutionally valid to stop appointing senators "needs to go back to law school." Well, Harper is not a lawyer, but his national security adviser or communication staff should definitely follow her advice.
Monia Mazigh was born and raised in Tunisia and immigrated to Canada in 1991. Mazigh was catapulted onto the public stage in 2002 when her husband, Maher Arar, was deported to Syria where he was tortured and held without charge for over a year. She campaigned tirelessly for his release. Mazigh holds a PhD in finance from McGill University. In 2008, she published a memoir, Hope and Despair, about her pursuit of justice, and recently, a novel about Muslim women, Mirrors and Mirages. You can follow her on Twitter @MoniaMazigh or on her blog www.moniamazigh.com
Photo: pmwebphotos/flickr
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