Odds Stack Up Against Irish Bookmaker In The Face Of ASA Complaints
Irish Bookmaker Paddy Power found itself on the wrong side of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) with a poster that was condemned as “ageist and offensive,” by Age Concern.
The ad showed two elderly women, one hunched over a walking frame, the other pushing a shopping trolley, crossing the road on a zebra crossing, while a truck with bull-bars drove down the middle of the road towards them. A red circle reading ‘2/1’ and ‘EVENS’ was superimposed next to each of the women with the caption “Lets make things more interesting. Paddy Power: Ireland’s Biggest Bookmaker.”
Age concern groups and members of the public accused the ad of demeaning older people and irresponsibly condoning and encouraging antisocial behaviour and dangerous driving.
In response to the complaints the advertisers said: “The poster was part of a wider campaign that depicted everyday situations as competitive fixtures through the eyes of a betting man.” They explained that the bet was on which woman would reach the other side of the road first, not on which one might be knocked over by the approaching truck. They also added that, “they had not intended to single out or offend any particular group of society.”
The ASA, however, concluded that; “readers were likely to interpret the poster as referring to the women’s chances of being hit by the truck” and added “that to depict elderly or infirm people as participants in a race to cross the road mocked their mobility and was likely to cause serious or wide spread offence.” They dismissed claims that the ad condoned anti-social behaviour and found that; “although the poster showed disrespect for the elderly and infirm it did not encourage motorists to drive dangerously or irresponsibly and would not encourage people to ignore zebra crossings.”
The ASA told the advertisers to withdraw the poster and advised them to consult the Committee Of Advertising Practice Copy Advice team before they advertised again.
ASA: 020 7580 5555 www.asa.org.uk
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