Robinsons lands in hot water as ASA attacks swimming ad

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has branded as irresponsible a Robinsons poster showing a girl and a boy swimming under water. The advertising watchdog ruled the ad, which showed the two children holding bottles of Britvic Soft Drinks fruit juice, portrayed an unsafe activity.

The poster campaign was created by HHCL & Partners. Small print on the poster said, “Performed by professionals, under adult supervision. Please do not copy”. The ASA said the warning was not prominent and was likely to be overlooked.

The ASA has not upheld a complaint from the Countryside Alliance Campaign for Hunting about a League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) leaflet, which says “a rise in coursing pressure and heavy shooting by landowners to deter illegal coursers has added to reductions in hare numbers in some parts of the country.”

However, the ASA ruled against the animal welfare group over a claim that about 1,000 hares a year are killed at organised coursing meets, because LCS had no documentary evidence to support the claim.

The ASA also censured a Mazda 323 sports-car press advert, created by J Walter Thompson, for glamorising speed and condoning fast driving. The campaign used the tagline, “Why keep up with the Jones’ when you could overtake?”