ASA says no to down and ‘out of it’ in Paris
A poster campaign for Eurostar has been censured by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for encouraging drunkenness and irresponsible behaviour.
Eurostar claimed the poster, which featured a group of young men with the strapline “From up for it to out of it via all the clubs in Paris”, intended to impart a message of “fun, spontaneity and enjoyment”.
It said the ad, created by TBWA/London, did not promote irresponsible behaviour but “merely encouraged young adults to visit the dance clubs of Paris”.
But the ASA was concerned that, because the poster stated “out of it”, it seemed to encourage young people not just to visit the clubs in Paris, but to drink to excess while doing so. It told Eurostar not to use ads carrying a similar message in the future.
The ASA also received complaints about two other executions in the Eurostar campaign but decided against investigating them. One poster showed a group of naked people running towards a beach with the strapline “For whywhy not” and the other featured a pair of feet sticking out from the end of a bed under the caption “From the first time to the next time”.
