ASA Adjudication on News Group Newspapers Ltd

Ad

A TV ad featured a football card promotion with the Sun newspaper. Ian Wright and a group of children discussed the cards.

Ian Wright said “Topps Match Attax.” The children continued “The best game in the world. The big names. Fabregas, Rooney." Ian Wright said "Shaun Wright-Philips." One of the children rolled their eyes. Another child said "Is he worth a week's pocket money? Is anyone? Rooney and Drogba in the same pack going for big money ... They’re giving away the new season." Ian Wright said "More than 70 free cards on offer over two weeks ... whichever game you love get your big football exclusive and your free Topps Match Attax offer all in the Sun this Saturday."

On-screen text stated “Cards in paper Sat 23rd. Vouchers in paper 25th Oct - 5th Nov. Redeem at Martin McColls, WHSmith, Easons and RSMcColls. Valid until19th Nov 2010, while stocks last”.

Issue

1. Two viewers challenged whether the ad was irresponsible, because they believed it encouraged children to buy a product (the Sun newspaper) that was not suitable for children.

2. The ASA challenged whether the ad, and in particular the reference to "pocket money", directly exhorted children to buy the Sun or encouraged them to ask other people to buy it for them to obtain the football cards.

BCAP Code

Response

1. News Group Newspapers Ltd (the Sun) said they had eight million daily readers and were the UK's largest family newspaper. They therefore disputed the challenge that the Sun was unsuitable for children. They said they were a responsible advertiser and the ad was firmly aimed at and intended for adults.

Clearcast said they considered the Sun to be a family newspaper. Similar ads had been running for the past two years without complaint and Match Attax ads had often featured children.

2. The Sun said the reference to pocket money was not meant to directly exhort children to buy the newspaper. All references to money in the ad were a humorous juxtaposition between a childrens football game and the escalating prices in the English transfer market. The use of children was intended as a comedic device aimed at adults, the children were all talking about Match Attax in the language and tones of adults discussing the football transfer market. The inclusion of Ian Wright was an attempt to further reinforce this humour. They said the ad was designed to mimic the previous years TV ads where their football pundits discussed the large sums paid for players and their intention was to target only an adult audience. They said they would ensure they were careful with the use of children in future ads to prevent the possibility of encouraging or directly exhorting children to buy the Sun.

Clearcast said the reference to pocket money was a joke about the amount of money spent on transferring players, and that was why one of the children asked if a player was worth a weeks pocket money. They pointed out that the Match Attax cards were free with the paper so the ads were not encouraging kids to spend their pocket money on the cards.

Assessment

1. Not upheld

The ASA noted the ad promoted football cards available in the Sun newspaper. Although we acknowledged that some viewers might not consider all of the content in the Sun to be suitable for children, we nonetheless noted it was a family newspaper and considered that the ad promoted football cards available with the paper to a family audience. We concluded that the ad was not irresponsible on those grounds.

On this point we investigated the ad under BCAP Code rule 1.2 (Social responsibility) but did not find it in breach.

2. Upheld

We noted Clearcast and the Suns assertion that the statement "Is he worth a weeks pocket money? Is anyone?" was a joke about the amount of money spent on premiership footballers, rather than a comment on whether or not the football cards were worth a weeks pocket money. However, we considered that that distinction was subtle, and might be lost on some young viewers, who would instead understand the claim to mean it was worth buying the Sun with their pocket money in order to get the Match Attax cards, particularly because the line was said by a child. We considered that the presentation of the ad, especially the use of Ian Wright talking to a group of children, was such that it was likely to be seen to directly target children. Because we considered some young viewers would understand the reference to pocket money as an encouragement to purchase, we considered the ad directly exhorted children to buy the Sun to obtain the promotional football cards. We therefore concluded the ad was in breach of the Code.

On this point the ad breached BCAP Code rule 5.14 (Children).

Action

The ad must not be broadcast again in its current form.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Broadcast)