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The CEO of a skincare brand aimed at new and expectant mothers has hit out at Melbourne’s tram operator after it removed the company’s ads because it failed to meet strict guidelines.
In an attempt to grow their consumer base in Australia, New Zealand brand Pure Mama bought six weeks worth of ads to feature on trams across the city.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Yarra Trams remove skincare billboards featuring a pregnant woman
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The ads were aimed at showing the “real reality” of pregnancy, and featured the words: “I feel strong and ready to crumble” and “I feel centre stage and invisible”.
The images were only up in late August for two weeks before they were pulled without warning by Yarra Trams.
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Pure Mama chief executive Lara Christie said she had to push for an explanation as to why.
The operator, which is owned by private company Keolis Downer, told Pure Mama a complaint was made regarding the images used, which were of a pregnant woman looking “defeated”.
“Whilst the campaign was not directly relating to any mental health issue, the taglines and imagery (defeated mum) can be interpreted otherwise,” Yarra Trams told Pure Mama.
The Pure Mama ads were only up for two weeks on Melbourne’s trams. Credit: Supplied The ads were aimed at showing the “real reality” of pregnancy. Credit: Supplied
It also said the ads did not include any mental health helplines. However, Christie said the company was not given the chance to rectify the issue.
“They took the ads down without telling us that they were about to take them down,” she told 7NEWS.com.au.
“That was the most disappointing part about it for us because basically, we were trying to bring to light this notion that pregnancy can be amazing, but it can also be hard.
“We would have put a number on it, or we would have redone the (images) because it was still due to be up for another four weeks, but instead they just took it down.”
7NEWS.com.au understands the Pure Mama ads were removed after Yarra Trams realised unapproved images were installed on its trams by advertising partner JCDecaux.
There are strict guidelines regarding advertisements on Melbourne trams, and the Pure Mama images that were approved by Yarra Trams were not the ones installed by JCDecaux.
JCDecaux has been contacted for comment.
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