'Drink and sex' ads broke rules
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/7936833.stm Version 0 of 1. Nightclub adverts aimed at students which linked cheap drinks with sex broke industry rules, a watchdog said. The posters in Leeds declared "I love S.E.X." and showed shots of spirits for £1 alongside provocative pictures. Mimicking the phrase "I love New York" and using the heart symbol, the club promoted its "Saturday Entertainment Xperience" using the initials S.E.X The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the promotion breached social responsibility rules. The posters had promoted discounted drinks with the phrases: "£1 shots! Sambuca - tequila - yes!" and "£2 vodka Red Bull - yes!" Appealing While the ASA rejected complaints the adverts were offensive or unsuitable for children, it found that they linked drinking alcohol with sex. Their ruling said: "While the clothing and poses of the women were not in themselves likely to be considered sexually provocative or sexually explicit, their appearance was likely to be considered attractive and appealing to young people wanting to meet and socialise. "We considered that to show the images in conjunction with the phrase 'I love S.E.X.' evoked an atmosphere of sociability that focused at least in part on sexual activity. "We considered that, in the context established by those elements of the ad, the circles that stated '£1 shots! Sambuca - tequila - yes!' and '£2 vodka Red Bull - yes!' went beyond advertising alcohol at the event simply in the context of price or entertainment and linked it with sexual activity." The event promoter Taking Liberties said the posters did not claim that drinking alcohol would lead to sexual conquests and that the drinks prices were displayed as independent parts of the design. The ASA said the adverts must not be used again and future promotions must not link alcohol and sex. |