ASA Adjudication on OCB Papers (UK) Ltd

Ad

An ad for OCB cigarette papers, published in Viz magazine, showed the image of a woman from the shoulders down sitting on a chair with her legs crossed. She wore shorts, over the knee socks and silver high-heeled shoes. She held a gold handbag from which a pack of OCB cigarette papers jutted. Individual rolling papers rose from her bag and appeared to float away. Text stated "OCB X-PERT Europe's Premium Cigarette Paper …".

Issue

The complainant challenged whether the ad was irresponsible, because it associated smoking with glamour.

CAP Code (Edition 11)

Response

OCB Papers (UK) Ltd (OCB) said, in their view, the ad did not associate smoking with glamour it associated a quality cigarette paper with the quality of the model featured.  They pointed out that only one complaint had been made after the ad had been published throughout Europe and seen by millions of readers.  

Viz magazine did not comment.

Assessment

Upheld

The ASA noted the CAP Code rules covering the marketing of rolling papers and filters stated that ads should not imply that smoking was glamorous or link smoking with people who were fashionable or possessed attributes or qualities that might reasonably be expected to command admiration.

We considered that the woman in the ad was dressed in a stylish and glamorous manner, as though for a party or night club, and readers were likely to infer from the image that cigarette papers and therefore smoking were part of that individual's life and recreational activities.  We acknowledged that there was an element of fantasy in the image as a result of the cigarette papers apparently elevating from a handbag and drifting through the air, and recognised that readers would understand that the image was stylised and unreal.  Nevertheless, we considered that the ad associated smoking and a glamorous, fashionable or sophisticated lifestyle, which was irresponsible and breached the Code in relation to the marketing of cigarette rolling papers.

The ad breached CAP Code clauses 2.2 (Responsible advertising) and 55.1: 3.8 (Tobacco, rolling papers and filters).

Action

The ad must not appear again.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Non-broadcast)