This is truly bizarre but the ASA thinks that using "balding" and "paunchy" men in booze adverts would be less likely to encourange woman to drink to achieve social success. So the booze-makers have actually been ordered to have uglier men in their ads, as the new advertising code stresses that there should be no link between alcohol and seduction. As if only Ken-doll type pretty boys know how to seduce a woman.
Lambrini is the first drinks maker to get a slap on the wrists, as their latst ad shows three women hooking up a guy in a parody of a fairground game. The ASA said to the Lambrini firm:
"We would advise that the man in the picture should be unattractive - ie overweight, middle-aged, balding etc.John Halewood, Lambrini's owner didn't think that the ASA should be in the business of defining who is and is not unattractive enought to be in a booze ad. He said to Sky news: "It makes some very understandable rulings to encourage sensible drinking but we're not sure they're qualified to decide for the nation who's sexy and who's not. Sexual attraction is happily one of the few things in life that can't be governed.""In its current form we consider that the ad is in danger of implying that the drink may bring sexual/social success, because the man in question looks quite attractive and desirable to the girls.
"If the man was clearly unattractive, we think that this implication would be removed from the ad."
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The ad:
The ads break August 1st and are by Cheetham Bell JWT in Manchester, UK.
BrandRepublic reports that Lambrini was ordered to clear all advertising with the ASA's Copy Advice Team after a poster campaign last year featuring sexual innuendo-loaded slogans based on horse racing such as "I love a man with a powerful beast between his legs".
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PermalinkWell hey, who doesn't? ;)
And hang on a just second here, isn't the man in that ad bald!? (and maybe a bit heavy?) wtf? That ain't exactly George Clooney or Brad Pitt there.....
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PermalinkI think this is the altered ad...not the original.
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PermalinkThe ASA must think women are really stupid.
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PermalinkOh.. Good spoof. ;)
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PermalinkNo kidding. I'll be interested to see how this plays out in the reverse...what kind of list are they going to come up with for unattractive females?
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PermalinkI went to the ASA web site and found this page for advertisers.
The ASA tells Lambrini it can't use an attractive looking man in its ad, but the ASA web page features an attractive looking man.
The ASA web page says:
(Emphases added)
However, the ASA rejected the original Lambrini ad which features a parody of a fairground game shown for the purpose of entertainment.
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PermalinkIt seems like there is a bit of a double standard occuring here. If Lambrini is being muscled into placing unsightly males in the ads with attractive women, doesn't that create a false sense of hope for the male viewers who could mistakingly associate drinking with social/sexual success and the ability to get desirable women? Obviously, the solution is to only allow unattractive people in advertising. This would force ads to be closer to reality. And who knows, with enough Lambrini in their systems, maybe their target would start to see the ads as they originally intended.
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Permalinkhahahha good point catchermag. I'd think so. Then it the message becomes if your not a model-type fella, chase after gals drinking Lambrini because you'll be in. The other thing is that it could imply beer-goggle attractiveness - the guys not hot but when you drink Lambrini he's hot enough that you'll be attracted to him. Just beware the next morning.
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