Ladbrokes' UK TV adverts deemed inappropriate by ASA.
Wednesday 7th January 2009
Two adverts shown for Ladbrokes' popular online casino Ladbrokescasino.com 'portrayed gambling in a context of toughness, and linked it to excessive risk taking and reckless behaviour', said a spokesperson for the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
Ladbrokes hit back at the verdict, declaring that the ASA were 'ruling against using humour in gambling advertisements'. The ASA recieved only a single complaint from a member of the public.
The first advertisment portrayed a scuba diver attaching raw meat to his suit before leaping into shark-infested waters. The second saw a skydiver attempting to use an empty crisp packet as a parachute. Both finished with the line: 'If only he'd seen ladbrokescasino.com; it would have quenched his thrill buds.'
Although the ASA conceded that the adverts were 'humorous', 'unrealistic', and in effect 'cautionary tales', they maintained that by linking gambling to toughness and excessive risk-taking they breached ASA regulations.
