Gambling Ads Banned for Inappropriateness
By Elena
23rd April, 2008
The UK ASA (Advertising Standard Authority) has restricted Paddy Power and Intercasino from airing their advertisements due to the advertising rules’ breach. According to the ASA Paddy Power commercial was linking gambling to seduction and Intercasino’s advert was appealing to underaged audience.
Intercasino had a set of four ads where two of the people featured were midgets dressed in gambling-related outfits. The advertisement is voiced over in mock Japanese style. Presumably due to its jokey, childish nature the advert was considered to appeal to children and youth.
Clearcast, tried to oppose ASA ruling, stating that the ads were not associated with youth culture or aimed at young people, but ASA insisted on the ban. Paddy Power strangely enough also featured a short person. This time in a limousine with champagne and a cigar in his hands and two beautiful women. The slogan said : "Who says you can't make money being short?" The advert was criticized for linking gambling to seduction, sexual success and enhanced attractiveness. The Paddy Power’s owner tried to defend the creative content, by saying it was a play on the words, but ASA was having none of it. The companies decided not to appeal against the ASA ruling and agreed to never air the commercials again or repeat it. Both companies are now officially the first gaming companies to fail ASA’s advert check, since the new law made it legal for gambling companies to advertise.
Here is what Peter Marcus, spokesman for InterCasino, had to say about the matter: "It's a shame that some people can't see humour when it's put in front of them. We'll continue, through advertising and other marketing channels, to try to entertain our customers in a way that our competitors don't. This is a very unusual and surprising ruling from the ASA given that it has not received any public complaints regarding the advertisements which have been on air since September 2007."
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