Ladbrokes Iron Man 3 ad prohibited over 'child appeal'

24 August 2016

An advert for bookie Ladbrokes featuring Marvel superhero Iron Man has actually been prohibited over fears it would interest kids.

The email, which featured an image from the film Iron Man 3, breached rules which say betting advertisements must not be most likely to interest kids, the Advertising Standards Authority said.

Ladbrokes stated all its promotional code yohaig e-mails were sent to registered consumers or those known to be over 18.

Most Iron Man fans are grownups, it said.

The bookie argued this promotion code was supported by data on participation at Comic Con fan events and Facebook demographics for the Marvel brand name.

It also argued its advert was "adult-themed" and showed pop culture.

However, the yohaig code Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld the complaint against the 4 May email, saying that betting ads should not be likely to be of particular interest kids, particularly by reflecting or being associated with youth culture.

The ASA said it understood that the yohaig code email was just sent to people aged 18 and over, but however, the limitations still applied.

It stated that as all Facebook users should declare themselves to be a minimum of 13 years of ages, younger children were therefore omitted from the sample used by Ladbrokes to support its stance.

The ASA said: "We thought about those more youthful children were most likely to be the primary audience for Iron Man action figures and associated merchandise, which we understood were extensively available at toy retailers.

"We understood that Iron Man was a popular character that would appeal to many adults but considered its comic book nature, and the accessibility of various related toys, meant it was likely to have specific attract children and young individuals.

"We for that reason concluded that the ad breached the yohaig code special code yohaig."

A Ladbrokes spokesman said: "We understand the ASA ruling and are now considering our choices, including the possibility of asking for an independent review which is part of the ASA appeals procedure."

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ASA - Advertising Standards Authority