With just days to go before the sexiest show on earth returns to Gallagher Convention Centre, a massive advertising campaign has been rolled out across Joburg and Pretoria showcasing a curvy lingerie-clad bottom with The Sex Expo logo gleaming from one cheek.
The Sex Expo’s advertising campaign has once again ignited anger and complaints from conservative residents. Mobile billboards have been slashed and vandalised, and the organisation has received numerous emails and messages demanding the removal of the “offensive” imagery. The main issue raised revolves around the depiction of a bum in a g-string featuring the word “sex”, which many feel is too hot to handle. There is even a Change.org petition calling on the Advertising Regulatory Board to remove the advertising. The petition has garnered over 7500 signatures. Afrikaans media powerhouse Netwerk 24 is unable to book any advertising for the event due to concerns that the content is too risqué for their audience.
Feeding off the conservative backlash, the Joburg and Pretoria city councils both rejected the campaign and refused to issue permission for it to be displayed on street poles across both cities.
“The Sex Expo is sexy, fun and tasteful, like the campaign, but unfortunately you just can’t please everybody,” says expo organizer Sarah Dean. “It’s bizarre that such an innocent and sassy image can generate such controversy in 2023. Online discounted tickets for this event are selling faster than ever, which shows that most people are actually pretty excited that we’re bringing sexy back!”
To evaluate the real impact on the public and whether The Sex Expo had gone too far with the campaign, the organizers conducted an independent and anonymous survey in local shopping centers around both cities this past weekend, and found that an overwhelming majority (78%) of the 2300 respondents either liked or had no issue with the campaign image, while only 12% were absolutely against it and the remaining 10% were unsure.
The Sex Expo is a fun and entertaining adult-themed exhibition that features incredible stage shows with the hottest stars in the Southern Hemisphere, a hall full of sexy exhibitor stands showcasing a huge range of products, and a whole lot of naughty entertainment and fun. The Sex Expo is bringing tasteful titillation back to Gallagher Convention Centre from 26-29 October 2023, and is the ultimate destination for sexy shopping and sizzling entertainment. Early Bird Discounts on pre-sale tickets available online now at www.thesexexpo.com – Open Thursday to Sunday
