Advertisment
The advertising featuring a female voiceover referred to the following:
“This weekend, flirt with the new guy in the office, share that juicy gossip, add that guy you fancy on Facebook. Do things that make you blush.
Blush, the new passion fruit flavoured drink from WKD. What makes you blush?
Find us on Facebook at WKD Ireland and follow the hashtag #lovetoblush.
Enjoy WKD Blush sensibly.”
Complaint
Complaint 1:
One complainant considered the advertisement implied that the product gave girls the required amount of confidence to ‘flirt with the new guy at work’ and implied that alcohol enhanced sexual status.
Complaint 2:
A second complainant considered the advertisement had been designed to appeal to young people and that it had been aired on a radio station aimed at young people and particularly popular among teenagers and school children.
Response
The advertisers’ agency responded on their behalf and said when creating broadcast advertising scripts relating to alcohol products, they always kept the spirit of the Code firmly to the forefront of their thinking.
Complaint 1:
The Agency said it would never be their intention to imply that any alcohol product would enhance the confidence or the sexual status of any young person. They reiterated that their advertising scripts were always created in the spirit of the Code and they also abided by all other rules and guidelines set out in relation to the advertising of alcohol products.
Complaint 2:
They said the radio stations they had chosen to air the advertising in question had a predominant listenership of 18-35 year olds.
Conclusion
Complaint not upheld.
The Complaints Committee considered the details of the complaint and the advertisers’ response. The Committee noted the name of the alcohol product i.e. WKD Blush and considered the tone and content of the advertisement to be light hearted and to be centred on the name of the product and situations which may normally cause individuals to become embarrassed or a little uncomfortable. They considered that these activities were not necessarily associated with the consumption of alcohol.
Complaint 1:
The Committee did not consider that the advertisement inferred that that those who drank the product had increased confidence or sexual status and did not therefore consider the advertisement was in breach of Section 9.5c of the Code.
Complaint not upheld.
Complaint 2:
The Committee noted that the advertisement had referenced ‘in the office’ and considered therefore that the advertisement was not aimed at children. In addition they noted the listenership of the radio station concerned.
In the circumstances, in this context, they did not consider that the advertisement was in breach of Section 9.7 of the Code.”
Complaint not upheld.
No further action was required in this case.
