ASA rules against Captain Morgan facebook post
The picture in question showed the pirate Captain Morgan raising a glass and cheering whilst surrounded by his crew, along with the text: “WEDNESDAY. I’M DECLARING WAR ON MID-WEEK BOREDOM.”
Following a complaint from the Youth Alcohol Advertising Council, the ASA ruled that most customers, viewing the image and the text together, would interpret it to mean that the Captain was alleviating his boredom by drinking Captain Morgan with friends.
It added that the presence of “drink responsibly” posts did not undermine the fact that the post implied “Captain had sought alcohol to improve his mood”.
'Disappointed'
Julie Bramham, Captain Morgan’s Western Europe marketing director, said: “We always apply the highest levels of rigour to our marketing campaigns and are therefore disappointed with the ASA Council’s adjudication.
“The post on our Facebook page, one of a number of regular posts, was intended to suggest that consumers take a break from their normal weekday routine and spend time with friends mid-week.
“Clearly, the ASA Council has interpreted this post in a different manner, and whilst we do not agree with this interpretation, we ultimately respect the Council’s ruling. We have agreed not to use the post again in its current form.”
