A British TV ad, by AB InBev, Carlsberg UK, Heineken UK, Miller Brands and Molson Coors, has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for suggesting drinking alcohol makes people more popular.
The “Let there be beer” advert cuts between three scenes around a barbeque gone wrong, a stressed office worker and a young man attempting to impress his girlfriend’s father. The characters eventually overcome
their challenges through the introduction of beer.
The ASA received a complaint about the ad for promoting alcohol as having therapeutic qualities, capable of changing behaviour as well as implying that it was key to improving people’s popularity.
The brewers behind the ad dismissed this complaint as it was meant to be an “exaggerated interpretation of the real world”.
The ASA did not agree and ruled the TV spot implied that through drinking beer, people can overcome problems such as a larger workload and emotional stress. Consequently, the ad must not be broadcast again in its current form.
The ruling by the ASA commenced on December 4th, while the “Let there be beer” ad premiered last summer. As such, UK TV-viewers have been exposed for months to this transgressive alcohol advertisement.
Source: MarketingWeek.co.uk [12/04/13]