British advertising regulator bans ambiguous beer advertising
The British advertising watchdog has banned a brewer's poster linking the consumption of his alcoholic drink to success with women. The regulatory authority stated on Wednesday in London that although it understood the humorous intention of the advertisement, it considered the content to be a breach of advertising regulations.
The British advertising watchdog has banned a brewer's poster linking the consumption of its alcoholic drink to success with women. The poster for the brewery Wells and Young's Courage beer shows a nervous-looking young man sitting next to a woman wearing a tight-fitting dress. Above it is the ambiguous slogan "Take Courage my Friend", which can be translated as "Take courage, my friend" or "Take (the beer) Courage".
The regulatory authority stated on Wednesday in London that although it understood the humorous intention of the advertisement, it considered the content to be a breach of advertising regulations. It had also received three complaints. The critics had either complained that the advertisement suggested that beer could inspire courage or that it incited people to make negative comments about the woman.
The brewery's head of marketing, Chris Lewis, expressed his surprise at the ban. According to Lewis, the advertisement shows a very common situation that the target group can relate to. There was no indication that the man on the poster was making negative comments about the woman or trying to take advantage of her.
The regulatory authority stated on Wednesday in London that although it understood the humorous intention of the advertisement, it considered the content to be a breach of advertising regulations. It had also received three complaints. The critics had either complained that the advertisement suggested that beer could inspire courage or that it incited people to make negative comments about the woman.
The brewery's head of marketing, Chris Lewis, expressed his surprise at the ban. According to Lewis, the advertisement shows a very common situation that the target group can relate to. There was no indication that the man on the poster was making negative comments about the woman or trying to take advantage of her.
