Make sure you back a winner
22 May 2008
With the introduction of new gambling legislation and advertising rules, marketers have been looking at various ways to sell their product effectively. The whole thrust of the changes to the CAP and BCAP Codes was that gambling advertisements appearing in broadcast or non-broadcast media should be socially responsible.
The ASA investigated an Intercasino TV campaign for an online poker and casino service. The advertisements showed different scenarios involving characters, dressed in wacky costumes, rolling down hills and jumping on each other. Monitoring staff challenged whether the advertisements breached the Codes, because they reflected or were associated with youth culture and, furthermore, whether they featured characters behaving in an adolescent, juvenile or loutish way.
The ASA decided that, because of the depiction of the characters and links to popular TV shows, the advertisements were associated with youth culture. Furthermore, because three of the four advertisements featured characters jumping on each other in a childlike manner, or rolling down a hill dressed in dice costumes, the actions of the characters were adolescent and juvenile. As a result, the advertisements should not be shown again. Click here for the adjudication.
The other advertisement that didn’t come up trumps was for a spread betting service advertised by Paddy Power. It featured a short man seated in the back of a limo flanked by two glamorous-looking women and holding a glass of champagne. The ASA upheld complaints on the basis that the advertisement irresponsibly linked gambling to seduction and sexual success and implied that gambling could improve self-image and self-esteem. As a result, Paddy Power had to withdraw the advertisement. Click here for the adjudication.
Advertisers of gambling products should heed those two adjudications; they help draw the fine line between your campaign complying with the Codes and falling foul of the ASA. We advise that, if you want to be first past the post, you should contact our Copy Advice team. Seeking advice from the CAP Copy Advice team is the best way to ensure that non-broadcast marketing communications do not break the CAP Code. The team is experienced at advising on the likely reaction of both the public and competitors and, of course, the ASA. Consult the team on 020 7492 2100 (telephone), 020 7242 3696 (fax) or e-mail copyadvice@cap.org.uk
For TV or radio pre-clearance advice, advertisers are urged to consult Clearcast www.clearcast.co.uk for TV advertisements or the RACC www.racc.co.uk for radio advertisements. Remember, that way, everyone’s a winner.