Late night alcohol delivery ad banned

An ad for a late night alcohol delivery service has been banned for being "offensive and socially irresponsible".

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the ad for Alcohol in Emergency (AinE) in Southampton, which showed a van with a flashing light on top and proclaimed it was "your quick link to drink", was "likely to be seen as encouraging and condoning irresponsible consumption of alcohol".

It said: "We considered that the phrase 'Alcohol in Emergency' was likely to be seen as suggesting that someone might urgently need alcohol in a comparable way to requiring medical attention.

"We considered that the ad therefore presented it as indispensible. Furthermore, we considered that the claim 'your quick link to drink' was likely to be seen as a reference to consuming alcohol within a short period of time in an excessive manner."

AinE said that the flashing light on the van was intended to show readers it offered a night-time delivery service. They said that the phrase (AinE) was used for brevity and would not be used in future ads.

It also said its trading name "Alcohol in Emergency" was not a play on the words "Accident and Emergency" and it adopted strict policies on not serving those who were intoxicated.

The company undertook not to repeat the ad again.