“You can write about anything” they said. “OK, what about famous cruise-themed reality TV show that follows the life of yachties serving charter guests 5* rated service on a motorised, or sailing, superyacht in the middle of the Caribbean, Mediterranean or Coral Sea, Below Deck?” I replied.
“I mean, er-” ANCHORS AWAY!
Captain Lee may be the man of the sea, but the regulatory waves of the advertising industry are managed by CAP and the ASA. Some say we run a tight ship. However, we think we, as a self-regulatory body, ensure a level playing field for advertisers, and keep ads from misleading, harming or offending anyone. And our Insight articles, as always, aim to provide you with bitesize bits of advice, cooked to perfection.
In this article, we’ve provided a fruit platter of all kinds of advice – some related to sailing, and some not – but I’ll try my best to link it to the best ocean-based reality TV show.
In the words of Captain Lee, “Let’s get this party started!”.
Don’t embarrass the boat
My nautical navigation skills aren’t shipshape, but my land-based geography isn’t bad. As such, I happen to know that Ravenna isn’t the same place as Venice. But the average consumer may not do.
In fact, the ASA ruled that an ad for a cruise that stated “Leaving from: Venice (Ravenna), Italy” and “Visiting: Venice (Ravenna), Italy” would be interpreted to mean that the cruise both departed and visited Venice. Upon inspection of the map, it was determined that Ravenna was in a different region of Italy, over 90 miles away from Venice. Therefore, the claims that the ship departed and visited Venice was misleading. So, it is important that when you say a ship departs, or docks, at a certain destination, it must be that actual destination. Inaccurate ports will get reports.
Sail past stereotypes
Be more Captain Sandy and Bosun Malia and bust those stereotypes, people!
The ASA has stated that perpetuating harmful stereotypes is going to get your ad grounded. An ad from a recruitment agency that made claims that companies should hire Filipino workers because they won't call in sick and are very hardworking and service oriented was deemed to promote a harmful stereotype, with the view of the Kanlungan Filipino Consortium being that the claims could lead to “increased cases of labour exploitation and trafficking”.
Similarly, a paid-for ad on Facebook was deemed to include a gender stereotype in a way that was likely to cause harm by sexualising and objectifying women by using styling and poses that were likely to be seen as sexually suggestive by emphasising a female characters breasts and buttocks.
Don’t be a Deck
Offensive language, including the use of "f**k" in an ad for a game that was of broad appeal is likely to cause serious and widespread offence. This is a fireable offence, especially if your charter guests (audience) are young. But some puns may be seen as distasteful rather than problematic, as seen is our Booking.com ruling. Which is lucky, given the title of this section…
5-star service?
Is it? Is it really? Can you substantiate that? If not, then the ASA is likely to deem such a claim to be misleading, like in this Step Debt Support ruling, where the advertiser could not substantiate their 5 stars. As the ruling makes clear, advertisers need to be able to demonstrate that reviews are genuine. If you say it is Below Deck, give us Sailing Yacht, not Adventure.
Did you even read the preference sheet outlining my food intolerances?
Just like the chefs that scrutinise every charter guests individual food preferences, the ASA also investigates claims that blood tests could identify food intolerances or their symptoms. After considering a vast amount of evidence, it was ruled that the advertiser did not have adequate evidence to support the claims. Food intolerances, and allergies, are important - just ask the chefs on charter.
Don’t stew on it
If you are questioning if your ad copy is in line with the rules, have a look at the many articles we have on our website. You can contact the friendly CAP Copy Advice team who are here to help.
That’s all for this season, crew. Let’s see if I can get an Insight on Jane McDonald’s Cruises and Michael Portillo’s Great Railway Journeys past the editors. Further TV recommendations greatly received.
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