ASA Adjudication on Chariot (UK) Plc

Ad

A TV ad for Monday Lottery showed a man dressed in a white tracksuit suspended from a lamp-post holding a carton of eggs. He addressed a crowd gathered beneath his feet and said "I Derek Gravity bring news of a miracle. Britain's new lottery has arrived ... be not seduced by the corner retailer ... begone purveyor of cow juice ... Go, go towards the light of your computer screens". As he spoke he dropped the eggs. He was then poked repeatedly in the ribs with a long pole by a shop owner. The ad was broadcast from the 24 April, nine days after Easter.

Issue

1. 23 viewers thought the ad was offensive because it appeared to parody Christ's crucifixion.  Two said it was particularly offensive to schedule the ad so close to Easter.

2.  Five viewers also thought the ad was offensive because it used Christian religious imagery to promote gambling.

Response

1.  M & C Saatchi said they were surprised and sorry to learn of the complaints received. They said the character of Derek Gravity was a humorous eccentric who promoted the Monday Lottery.  They said the ad showed Derek Gravity promoting the lottery after he had attached himself to a lamp-post using a coat hanger in his sweater.  They said the ad was not a religious parody and was intended to be comic and absurd.  They said Derek was not on a cross, in the crucifix position or using religious language and pointed out that other items associated with the crucifixion, such as a crown of thorns, were not shown in the ad.  They said none of the charities associated with the lottery had expressed concern about the ad.

The Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre (BACC) said they had not recognized any religious imagery in the ad. They said it was an absurd, off the wall treatment that set out to amuse. They said the ad did not contain any religious iconography and they would not have approved an ad which clearly mocked religion.

2.  M & C Saatchi said the ad was not a religious parody.

The BACC said some religious people may have objected to the ad because of an objection to gambling generally. They said if they believed the ad mocked religion they would not have cleared it.

Assessment

1. Complaints not upheld

The ASA noted that the man in the ad, dressed in a white tracksuit and trainers, was suspended above a crowd of onlookers and used language that could be regarded by some to be religious in tone.  Whilst we noted that some viewers associated this imagery with Christ's crucifixion, we did not consider that all viewers would.  The character in the ad was more akin to a parody of an angelic messenger than the realistic depiction of a sacred event perceived by the complainants and it was in our view unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.

On this point we investigated the ad under CAP (Broadcast) TV Advertising Standards Code rule 6.1 (Offence) but did not find it in breach.

2. Complaints not upheld

We noted that some, but not all, Christians did not approve of gambling and would not approve the link between gambling and religion.  We considered that, although to some viewers the ad promoted gambling using a religious parody, any perceived link between Christianity and gambling in this ad was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.

On this point we investigated the ad under CAP (Broadcast) TV Advertising Standards Code rule 6.1 (Offence) but did not find it in breach.

Action

No further action required.