A South Melbourne brothel owner has slammed critics of the business’ raunchy advertising campaign, vowing to go even “harder” with every complaint.
Gotham City owner Frank ‘Franco’ Puleo said controversial mobile advertising will remain a part of its branding, despite more than 80 complaints since 2024.
Past ads have portrayed near-naked women paired with slogans such as “Can you handle three?” and “Start your week with a bang!”
A Gotham City advertising van, as shown in a complaint to Ad Standards. Source: Ad Standards.
One complainant to independent advertising regulator Ad Standards described the content as “deeply misogynistic—showing naked women in a highly sexual context”.
Puleo, whose South Melbourne brothel has been operating for almost 26 years, said that “times are tough for everyone,” and that the ads were “tastefully done”.
The hired trucks used by Gotham City, which can travel around Melbourne at peak hour, display three screens of ads and play music. Puleo confirmed the trucks were not allowed near schools, kindergartens, or “any venues that are female-oriented”.
According to Ad Standards, six Gotham City campaigns have been escalated to review by the regulator’s Community Panel.
Of those, five were found to have been in breach of the Australian Association of National Advertisers Code of Ethics. Each time a breach has been identified, Gotham City removed the ad.
However, according to the brothel owner himself, complaints and panels were unable to keep up.
“By the time they complain about a certain picture or phrase, that ad’s gone because we update our ads every 10 days,” Puleo said.
“The more complaints I get, the harder I go.”
The self-regulatory nature of advertising in Australia means that businesses can keep producing new ads, staying a step ahead of the complaints body.
In their 2025 annual report, Ad Standards said a “vast majority of advertisers” act responsibly, promptly modifying or removal material.
Puleo said complaints about the mobile billboards were unfounded, and that they were no different to seeing a tampon or Bonds ad.
“It’s only woke people and lesbians who complain,” he said. “If it wasn’t Gotham City, no one would give a damn.”
On social media, complaints range from the sexual nature of the material to the brightness of the screens.
An image of one Gotham City truck in traffic, posted on social media. Source: Reddit.
“There’s got to be something we can do about these Gotham City vans,” one Reddit user stated.
“I don’t know how it was legal, the thing was so bright, projecting an illuminated LED billboard right into my peripheral vision,” another posted.
Puleo denied the vans were distracting or too bright and said Gotham City had only ever received complaints about their sexual nature.
“Maybe you’re getting brightness confused with gorgeous,” he said.
Puleo said the business spends around $30,000 per month on mobile truck advertising.
He said he will continue to use the mobile billboards, despite not monitoring how much revenue the ads themselves bring to the business.
In response to questions about Gotham City’s approach, a spokesperson for Ad Standards said the regulator’s role was to “apply the rules independently and consistently”.
“In some circumstances, there are additional compliance mechanisms,” the spokesperson said.
“For example, for ads appearing on vehicles, government authorities can take action such as cancelling registrations.”
The Department of Transport did not respond to requests for comment on the issue.
