<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia's advertising regulator has ruled against a Big W commercial showing a brief pixelated photo of a young girl sticking up her finger at the camera.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The offending image, part of an ad depicting a mother coping with rowdy children during school holidays, was found to have breached Ad Standards' code of ethics.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It triggered complaints when a child lying on a lounge stuck up the middle finger to the camera, with the industry regulator finding it was "inappropriate nonverbal language by a child".</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/sydney-weather-hottest-october-on-record-could-happen/54f06329-d148-4eae-99a5-a5c30a1b1d1d" target="_blank"><strong><span>Aussie city set to shatter blistering 37-year heat record</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The advertisement appeared on free-to-air, streaming and subscription television and also YouTube.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Big W, part of Woolworths Group, defended the ad, saying it set out to be "humorous and cheeky".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The gesture shown is fleeting, is not done in an aggressive manner or in a way that undermines the parent's authority, and is not obscene," the company said in its submission to Ad Standards.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/big-w-child-advert-breaches-industry-standards/4eb7cf30-adb8-465d-8674-a551aec903ec" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It added that the regulator's code says "advertising which sufficiently beeps or censors language so that it cannot be understood will not be seen to be strong or obscene language".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Five previous cases of adverts depicting the middle finger had been dismissed by Ad Standards, the retailer pointed out.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/israel-hamas-ceasefire-two-more-bodies-returned-to-israel-after-one-not-a-hostage/b3778ac5-eea7-4345-8642-27fd863baaf2" target="_blank"><strong><span>Israel, Hamas swap bodies after 'hostage' error threatens peace</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It also claimed the gesture is regularly used as "part of Australian culture, and that when used in a non-aggressive way it is not strong or obscene".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But Ad Standards found the Big W ad breached regulations because there was "higher sensitivity in the community" over children displaying inappropriate language.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It also recognised the commercial "sympathised" with parents who had to cope with boisterous behaviour by children.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But the affronting scene "left little to the imagination of any viewer" and most of the public would regard the sign "inappropriate for children to use, even if done in a playful setting".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Following the ruling, Big W said the advertisement had already been discontinued or hidden across all channels.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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