KFC has apologised for an ad in Australia that shows two young boys staring with their mouths agape as a woman adjusts her breasts.

The apology was issued after Collective Shout, an Australian group which campaigns against the objectification of women, labelled the ad “a regression to tired and archaic stereotypes where young women are sexually objectified for male pleasure”.

The 15-second ad features a young woman checking her reflection in the tinted windows of a parked car, apparently not realising anyone is inside the vehicle.

As she adjusts her breasts in a low-cut top, the window lowers to show the boys staring, open mouthed, as an older woman looks on disapprovingly from the driver’s seat.

The younger woman is also pictured checking out how her bottom looks in a very short playsuit.

The ad has been running on television and has also been shared on the fast food chain’s YouTube channel.

In a short statement issued on Tuesday, KFC said: “We apologise if anyone was offended by our latest commercial. Our intention was not to stereotype women and young boys in a negative light.”

The Collective Shout spokeswoman Melinda Liszewski said the ad was a regression to tired and archaic stereotypes where young women were sexually objectified for male pleasure; and males were helplessly transfixed when confronted with the opportunity to ogle a woman’s body.

“Ads like this reinforce the false idea that we can’t expect better from boys. It is another manifestation of the ‘boys will be boys’ trope, hampering our ability to challenge sexist ideas which contribute to harmful behaviour towards women and girls,” Liszewski said.

“The research is solid: attitudes shape behaviour. A growing number of reports show how reinforcing of gender stereotypes – including in advertising – contributes to a lesser view of women, resulting in their mistreatment.”

KFC has not confirmed if it will stop using the ad.