Stongbow ad banned by ASA

An advert for Heineken’s Strongbow has been banned for suggesting that alcohol is “more important than personal relationships.”

The advert has been banned for appearing to suggest that alcohol was “more important than personal relationships”.

The advert was screened on the cider brand’s You Tube channel and featured a spoof awards ceremony in which cider drinker “Carl” wins an award for “best strongbow as my other half”, with a picture of him holding a can of Strongbow in front of his face.

A message read out on Carl’s behalf, who we learn can’t be there because he is “on a date”, said: “I dedicate this award to my family, to all the lovely creatures out there, and to my other half. I love you. I’ve loved you since the first day I met ya. And I always will do. My dear Strongbow.”

The advert prompted a complaint from the Youth Alcohol Advertising Council (YAAC), with the backing of Alcohol Concern, to the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA), which claimed that the advert was irresponsibly in suggesting that alcohol was a vital part of life.

Heineken UK defended the advert explaining that the advert was part of a previous campaign on its YouTube channel featuring its “Strongbow Awards”; a satirical parody of awards ceremonies which celebrated consumers’ “Bowtime”, following Facebook nominations from fans.

Heineken believed the style, language and actions of the actor signalled that this was “obviously a parody of real-life, high profile award ceremonies”, explaining that it was designed to “make fun of actual awards ceremonies using fake grandeur and amusing acceptance speeches”.

However the ASA upheld the complaint and banned the advert, citing its code which states that marketing communications “must not imply that alcohol might be indispensable or take priority in life.”

The panel said the ad implied that Strongbow was as important to Carl as a significant romantic relationship with another person.

“For those reasons, we considered the ad implied that alcohol was as important as, if not more important than, personal relationships and therefore was portrayed as being indispensable and taking priority in life. We concluded that the ad breached the code and we welcomed Heineken’s confirmation that it had already been removed.”