It’s ‘grim’, ‘exploits teenage girls’ and ‘should be illegal’ – that’s what the public have been saying about Kingsmill’s latest TV ad for their fruit and fibre bread.

Featuring teen actress Tara Berwin, the supposedly family-orientated advert sees the 18-year-old in a mid-thigh length skimpy, verging on sexy, school uniform during breakfast time.

Her younger on screen brother, played by nine-year-old Lewis Hardaker, recites a warning from their dad, saying “if you think you’re going to school in that skirt, you can think again”, to which she responds by hiking up her skirt and pulling a provocative pose.

The team at Talent Management have watched the ad, which you can view above, and while we can see how it might be construed as a tad inappropriate, we didn’t expect the onslaught of complaints that have ensued since it aired.

On a web forum, one furious viewer wrote: “Perhaps it’s because paedophilia is very much in the public consciousness at the moment but shouldn’t this be illegal? Nearly seeing up the skirt of a minor?”

Another said: “I really think it exploits teenage girls. At the end there is a girl dressed in a very short skirt, over-the-knee stockings and it’s basically her school uniform. I just don’t see how it’s appropriate or what it has to do with a Kingsmill loaf. It’s blatantly using sex to sell an everyday product.’

One parent even dubbed it grim, saying: ‘I think it’s grim, to be honest. The same joke could’ve been made by dressing the girl in any number of other unsuitable-for-school outfits. The camera lingers on her giving a twirl, and the over-the-knee socks make her look like she’s in ‘naughty schoolgirl’ fancy dress. Yuk.”

However, criticism of the advert, which was uploaded to YouTube, saw Berwin retaliate, saying: “There’s no need to patronise me, I haven’t done anything wrong.”

A Kingsmill spokesman also defended the ad, saying: “It captures the playful interactions that are typical of day-to-day family life and demonstrates our understanding of modern families and their needs.”

Will Ghali, director of brands at Kingsmill owner, Allied Bakeries, added: “I don’t think it’s suggestive. It’s light-hearted and gets its message across in an entertaining and engaging way.”

Check out the ad above and let us know your thoughts…is it an inappropriate ad that sexualises children or is it a light-hearted take on an normal family situation?