Stationer in firing line
Stationer
in firing lineA stationer has been rapped by advertising watchdogs for
placing an insert in The Daily Telegraph depicting a young woman
holding a handgun.
The
Advertising Standards Authority has upheld complaints about the ad,
saying that it could be seen as glamorising the use of guns and
condoning violent behaviour.The insert was for Choice Online Stationers
and was promoting inkjet cartridges. The copyline was “Make The Right
Choice.”The company said that they used the image to catch the
attention is a saturated market and believed that as it was in the
style of a film poster it would not cause offence to a Daily telegraph
readership. The newspaper said that it had received no
complaints.However, the Advertising Standards Authority said that the
image was likely to be seen as “threatening” and noted the woman’s
aggressive facial expression. It added that the ad could cause serious
offence and Choice has agreed not to use it again.Ryanair has escaped
censure by the ASA for a press ad that complainants suggested
encouraged binge drinking.The ad, for flights to Germany, featured a
line drawing of a beer glass with an overflowing had and the text
“Enlarge your beer belly.”Complainants said that the ad encouraged
irresponsible drinking of alcohol but Ryanair said that they intended
the humorous ad to highlight Germany’s association with beer and the
tourist value of beer festivals.The ASA said that the cartoon “lacked
the appeal or enticement of a colour photograph” and that the ad
focused more on fares and destinations than alcohol.The ad industry is
having to tread warily in its approach to marketing alcohol after the
ASA tightened its rules on advertising following guidance from Ofcom
last year.