ASA slams ‘irresponsible’ Bacardi ad

Bacardi-Martini’s Latin Quarter cinema ad has been censured by the advertising watchdog for being “socially irresponsible” because it features the rum being poured flamboyantly.

The ad shows Italian actor Raoul Bova throwing a party on a railway platform after missing the last train, and then tossing a bottle of Bacardi in the air to the delight of partygoers.

Following a complaint, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) says the amount of alcohol featured and the manner of its pouring is socially irresponsible. The watchdog says that it is also concerned that the ad portrays alcohol consumption as the main reason for the party. The ad, created by McCann Erickson, had been cleared by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).

The ASA has upheld 11 complaints against lastminute.com following complaints against two posters and a regional press ad that feature the breasts of a woman in a bikini. Another execution shows the legs and bottom of a woman with the tagline “More beaches. Hotter deals”. Two complainants said the ads were offensive because the poster was placed in an area with a large Muslim population. Though the ASA disagrees, it has upheld the complaints because of the advertiser’s lack of response.

The watchdog has meanwhile not upheld a complaint by the Food Commission against a GlaxoSmithKline press ad for its Horlicks Snoozoo children’s drink. The Food Commission complained the ad encourages children to drink a sugary drink before bedtime.