Issues for Action

All-Pervasive Advertising

While "objectionable" material (click here for legal definition) is prohibited under the law, other pornography has been decriminalised.

It is now lawful for pornographers to aggressively market ‘XXX hardcore’ pornography to the general public through outdoor, live performance, promotional vehicle, printed, and broadcast formats — ie, they can advertise outdoors, in public places, and directly into our homes through radio, TV, and our letterboxes.

The following are descriptions of the all-pervasive nature of the advertising surrounding the November 2007 Erotica Lifestyles Expo in Palmerston North:

Erotica Lifestyles Expo

Erotica Expo website appears on all Erotica Expo advertising. This website linked to a pornography website with free access to some material, including teaser-images to pornographic movies (close-up shots of genitals, explicit sex scenes, etc.). There were “free sample” pornographic movies, with close-up footage of explicit sex-scenes, which focus on the genitalia involved, complete with sound-effects.

It would be illegal to show this material to minors.

Erotica Expo show guide promotes the Erotica website address, XXX advertising, Firecats Strip Club, pornography, “Pussy Shavers”, “G. Spot” advice, “Anal pleasure” and so on.

The show guide was delivered to Manawatu households as an insert in the Manawatu Standard. (This newspaper subsequently published a number of complaints about this.) That means the show guide, along with XXX advertising, and so on, was delivered to people's homes.


PHOTO: Erotica Expo show guides (5 copies), on the floor of a Palmerston North supermarket, after falling out of newspapers near checkout aisles.

The requirement for children, including primary school children, to study current affairs could result in them being exposed to the show guide.

The show guide was also found among the ‘adult content’ litter dropped near the venue.

Erotica Expo newspaper advertisement also appeared in the Manawatu Standard.

The requirement for children to study current affairs could result in them being exposed to this advertisement.

Erotica Expo TV advertisements played in the late evening, so are less of a concern from the perspective of protecting children.

Erotica Expo promotional vehicle not only featured in the parade, but was parked outside the Convention Centre for the duration of the Expo. The Erotica website address is displayed on the back, front and sides of this vehicle.

Erotica Expo shopping bags prominantly display the Erotica Expo website address.

The Erotica Expo shopping bags were also found among the ‘adult content’ litter dropped near the venue.

Vixen Direct

Vixen Direct website appears on all Erotica Expo advertising. It is an online retailer of pornographic movies and is advertised in the Erotica Expo’s official show guide as “Vixen Direct. #1 for XXX Adult Fun. XXX Hardcore DVDs…”

The Vixen website is primarily comprised of images of DVD packets, including images of naked and partly clothed women, and women engaged in oral, anal, and vaginal sex.

The site is divided in to themes, including anal sex, domination, voyeurism, and fetishes.

It would be illegal to show this material to minors.

Vixen Direct promotional vehicle was not only in the parade, but parked outside the Convention Centre for the duration of the Expo. The Vixen website address is displayed on the back, front and sides of this vehicle.

Vixen Direct shopping bags: People were walking through the Square with the Vixen bags which also display the Vixen website address with the Vixen logo.

When we asked 2 boys, aged 13 and 11 years old, what they thought might be in the Vixen bag, they independently said they thought it looked like an advertisement for children’s toys.

Children could, we believe, go to the Vixen Direct website expecting to find children’s toys as a direct result of seeing this bag.

Firecats Strip Club

Gang members and strippers from gang-owned Firecats strip club featured strongly in the 'boobs on bikes' parade, and women from Firecats were listed among the 'exhibits' at the Expo.
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Brass XXX Magazine

Brass XXX magazine was advertised in the Erotica Lifestyles Expo’s official show guide as “Brass Extreme. New XXX Hardcore Magazine!”

Brass website: we have not been able to access the website for Brass magazine. It is not clear whether the website is overloaded, unavailable, or doesn’t exist.

However, it would be illegal to show an “XXX Hardcore Magazine” to minors.

Brass promotional vehicle not only featured in the parade, but was parked outside the Convention Centre for the duration of the Expo. The Brass website address is displayed on the back of this vehicle.

Adult Content Litter

In addition to the above, the ‘adult content’ litter found strewn near the venue included condom packets, with information on syphilis and AIDS, and condoms.



Last reviewed 24 Mar 2010.