Ad description
A paid-for Facebook ad seen in February 2026 stated, “Shop and save this Valentine’s Day”. The ad featured three images. One of the images was a bottle of rum. Text next to the image stated, “WHY HAVE ROMANCE WHEN YOU CAN HAVE RUM”.
Issue
The ASA challenged whether the ad was irresponsible because it implied that drinking alcohol could overcome loneliness.
Response
Bestway Retail Ltd t/a Bargain Booze said the ad was a light-hearted Valentine’s Day post and part of a three-ad carousel of price-comparison deals that used humorous straplines. They said the ad was targeted at people aged 18 years and over in the catchment areas of their Bargain Booze stores.
The ad was intended to be a light-hearted Valentine’s Day post using humorous wordplay, contrasting traditional “romance” messaging with a product-focused alternative. The text was intended to be playful and humorous rather than a serious claim. It was not intended to imply that alcohol could overcome loneliness. They believed the average consumer would interpret the message as tongue-in-cheek and not a literal suggestion to replace relationships. They did not believe the ad suggested that alcohol might solve loneliness or improve emotional wellbeing. It was a preference-based joke encouraging consumers to choose rum as a treat and a playful alternative gift idea, not a claim about emotional needs.
They said there was no depiction of loneliness or rejection in the ad or in the other two ads in the carousel, which all had had a bright, humorous tone, and that “Would you prefer X over Y” phrasing was common in advertising humour. The ad also sat within a cultural trend of playful rejection of traditional Valentine’s Day cliches, including the humorous anti-romance marketing precedent set by “Galentine’s Day” and was not a harmful message about alcohol. They contended that the ad was socially responsible and did not encourage excessive drinking or exploit those who were vulnerable.
They believed that the tone, execution and context within the carousel of other humorous price comparative straplines removed any possible harmful interpretation.
Assessment
Upheld
The CAP code stated that marketing communications must not imply that alcohol might be indispensable or take priority in life or that drinking alcohol could overcome boredom, loneliness or other problems.
The ASA acknowledged Bargain Booze’s comment that the text “Why have romance when you can have rum” was intended to be playful and humorous, and that it was not intended to imply that alcohol could overcome loneliness. However, we considered the ad, which was shown in the context of Valentine’s Day, an occasion strongly linked to romantic relationships, presented alcohol as an alternative for those who did not have “romance” on Valentine’s Day. In that context, we considered it therefore implied that drinking alcohol could be used as a substitute for romance and could overcome feelings of loneliness.
For those reasons, we concluded the ad was irresponsible and breached the Code.
The ad breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rule 18.6 (Alcohol).
Action
The ad must not appear again in the form investigated. We told Bestway Retail Ltd t/a Bargain Booze to ensure that future ads did not imply that alcohol could overcome loneliness.
