Lush have a firm policy against photoshopping their campaign images.

A body-positive advertising campaign from natural cosmetics company Lush has been reported as "offensive" in Australia.

The ads, which also ran in New Zealand, featured naked Lush staff members, and promoted the brand's products which are sold without packaging.

It also aimed to present a "broad image of beauty that better reflects our staff and customers", Lush spokeswoman Kanya Nanayakkara said.



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"There is no one perfect body", she said, adding that Lush has a strict policy against Photoshopping their imagery.

However some Queensland mallgoers were less impressed, particularly with an image of four naked woman facing away from the camera, arms interlinked.

Complainants to Australia's Advertising Standards Board said the image was "pornographic in nature" and breached community standards.

The poster's location was also an issue, with it being "placed at a child's eye level in a shopping centre".

"It shows naked woman touching other naked women and it is shown in a public place," the complaint continued.



The image at the centre of the complaints. Photo: SUPPLIED

Lush rejected those claims, saying that the overwhelming feedback from their customers had been positive.

"Some of our customers told us that after years of hating their own bodies, they were inspired to begin the healing process and challenge the negative self-talk they hear each time they see an image of a Photoshopped, idealised version of beauty they may not meet," Nanayakkara said.

Lush customers had said the images made them cry, as it was so rare to see "unPhotoshopped, normal, natural-looking women... your poster made me feel good".

"Thank you for presenting real women's bodies in a way that is so unashamed and unapologetic," another customer wrote.



Another image from the Go Naked! campaign. Photo: FACEBOOK

Lush also disagreed that the advertisements showed women in a sexualised manner, saying the poses aimed to indicate support for each other rather than to titillate.

The ASB accepted that the images did not have a sexual nature, and that most people would understand the nudity was related to Lush's unpackaged products.

Having four women presented at once, however, meant that "the overall impact was increased and was confronting".



Lush said it would consider the board's ruling in future campaigns. Photo: SUPPLIED

"The board considered that the advertisement does not treat the issue of sex, sexuality and nudity with sensitivity to the relevant board audience which would include children," the ruling said.

Since the campaign had already concluded in Australia and New Zealand at the time the ruling was released, the images were already gone from stores, but they are still featured on Lush's website.

As for the suggestion that the campaign was potentially inappropriate for children, Nanayakkara asked: "What could be better for young children's self-image than to see a body-positive depiction of unretouched and diverse bodies?"

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