The logo for OnlyFans is seen on a device in this photo illustration in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., August 19, 2021.
The logo for OnlyFans is seen on a device in this photo illustration in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., August 19, 2021. Reuters / ANDREW KELLY

KEY POINTS

  • OnlyFans star Savannah commissioned a huge billboard ad to promote her explicit online content
  • She faced several complaints from local businesses and parents, claiming it was inappropriate
  • She claimed that it was the parents' responsibility to protect their children from accessing online adult content

An OnlyFans content creator is facing several complaints after commissioning a super-sized billboard ad to promote her adult online content.

The content creator was identified by News.com.au as Savannah — professionally known as W.C. Savage.

Located near an intersection in the Perth suburb of Osborne Park in Western Australia, the advertisement showed Savannah posing in a skimpy bikini at Coogee Beach and included a link and QR code to her OnlyFans — a subscription-based online platform where users sell and/or purchase original adult content.

But the billboard sparked massive backlash from some local businesses and parents, who are working on filing an official complaint to the City of Stirling's council.

"I think it's quite inappropriate actually because it's a family area and it's an over 18 adult site, and I don't think children should be able to see that," one unidentified resident told Perth's 7News. Another said, "That's insane."

In an interview with "6PR Breakfast" hosts Steve Mills and Karl Langdon Monday, Savannah defended her marketing strategy and claimed that it was the "responsibility of the parents" to protect and prevent their children from accessing the online adult site.

"OnlyFans actually have layers of protection to stop underage people from accessing the site," she said. "You need to have your license. You need to have a credit card even just to access the free site."

"If young teenagers are scanning this QR code, then there should be parental blocks in place placed by their parents on their iPhones, tablets, computers and things like that to stop them from being able to access sites like this and other sites that do create explicit content," she added.

Despite the criticism, the content creator claimed that her OnlyFans was now "doing very well" thanks to her new campaign, after trying different types of marketing strategies over the years. Savannah also shared that the stunt was something that "has never been done before in Australia.'

Toward the end of the interview, the OnlyFans star further defended herself and her ad, saying, "Honestly, if a picture of a young woman in a bikini is the worst thing that your children are going to see today, I really feel like we should be kind of grateful and have some perspective."

"There are so many worse things out there that the children could be seeing and experiencing than a young woman in a bikini at the beach," she said, adding that everyone has a right to their opinion and that she won't stop her critics from filing a complaint.

Speaking on the issue, Stirling Mayor Mark Irwin told 7News that although complaints were needed for the city to "take action," it is the private entity that decides on "content and editorial control of what is displayed on the billboard."

Australian advertisements across any medium reportedly adhere to the rules and codes developed by the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA).

Section 2 of the Code of Ethics states that in case the Community Panel is involved, it will take into account the broad views of its actual audience, including minors, and analyze whether or not that advertisement "treats sex, sexuality, and nudity with sensitivity to that audience or whether the language used is appropriate for that audience."

Four complaints have been officially filed to the regulatory body — known as Ad Standards — so far, according to a representative from the panel. The spokesperson added that the panel will determine if Savannah's advertisement violated the code of ethics.Savannah

Ad Standards executive director Richard Bean said that if the ad "is found to break the rules," it will either be modified or removed.

But the OnlyFans star told 7News that her ad had been modified several times to meet advertising codes after consultations with the billboard's owner.

OnlyFans has become a popular platform for creators of erotic content but recently itself had to back down on a planned ban on sexually explicit content after an outcry from performers
OnlyFans has become a popular platform for creators of erotic content but recently itself had to back down on a planned ban on sexually explicit content after an outcry from performers AFP / Lionel BONAVENTURE