Bars and clubs see social posts banned for encouraging excessive drinking
Five bars and clubs have been ordered by the advertising watchdog to remove ‘light-hearted’ posts which promoted dangerous drinking.
The Hive, a nightclub in Edinburgh, was advertising drinks and shots for £1 each, with a Facebook post reading: ‘Not only do I dance like nobody is watching, I also drink as if I don’t work in the morning.’
Lulu, a different nightclub in the Scottish capital, posted a TikTok video which showed women having bottles of spirits poured into their mouths.
In addition to this, some of the people in the clips were not clearly over the age of 25 – reflecting the current age verification policy in the UK.
The Spiritualist, a cocktail bar in Glasgow, and Popworld, in Leeds, were also told to remove adverts which featured people who looked like they may be under 25.
Additionally, Popworld had to take down an Instagram post which read: ‘When your pal hands you another shot and you’re not sure you can handle it but you take it anyway…’
The Slug and Lettuce, in Glasgow, was the fifth bar targeted in the crackdown when it was told to delete two Facebook posts and an Instagram post.
One of the pictures showed a cocktail tree holding nine drinks and another showed a group of five young women sitting around a table with 19 cocktails on it.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said: ‘We acknowledged that the ads were intended to be light-hearted.
‘However, we considered they nonetheless condoned and encouraged excessive drinking and therefore were socially irresponsible and breached the Code.’
All five venues – Montpeliers (Edinburgh), City Clubs (Edinburgh), Signature Pubs, Stonegate Pub Company and Popworld (Leeds) – accepted the regulator’s findings and removed their posts.
Glasgow’s Slug and Lettuce has also promised to review all its other social media ads and remove any that were similar.
The ASA is also investigating more than 200 complaints about an ‘offensive’ and ‘disgraceful’ advert for company Crown Paints.
Some believe the ad, about a couple preparing for a new baby, is not appropriate – while others believe it promotes sexist stereotypes about women.
If the ASA finds that the ad breaches its rules, it could be banned from TV.
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