Nationwide pulls ads from Front

Lads magazine Front has been shunned by a financial services advertiser because its contents are too sexually-explicit.

Nationwide Building Society has pulled a print campaign for FlexAccount. The campaign targets the youth market with three humorous executions and breaks on November 1. It will appear in FHM, Loaded and Max Power as well as girls’ titles Sugar, Minx, More, 19 and B.

It was originally scheduled to appear in Front, but since the magazine’s launch on October 15, by start-up publishing house Cabal Communications, Nationwide has changed its mind.

A Nationwide spokeswoman says its marketers believe Front’s content is too sex-oriented: “We have pulled out from Front, but are sticking with Loaded and FHM. The decision was made by the marketing department because we believe there is a difference between these titles.”

Cabal Communications commercial director Helen Brocklebank says: “There are some advertisers who are keen to go into a new magazine whereas others hold off. We have a good relationship with Nationwide and its media buyer Media Solutions and there is nothing sinister about it.”

Cabal confirmed it started with the intention of developing a magazine for boys aged 16 upwards, but as the product was developed it changed its target audience to 18-years and above.

One media buyer said some advertisers were waiting to see how the next few issues developed: “Sooner or later you have to draw a line between soft porn and what is effectively a men’s magazine. If it is not careful [Front] could see itself restricted from the schedule.”