24 Watchdog Tik-ed off over social media star’s cocktail video ad
AN IRISH influencer has had one of her TikTok videos banned by advertising watchdogs — after downing four cocktails in less than 90 seconds.
Danielle Walsh, from the North, had made the predrinks video as an advertisement for drinks company
VK. But she failed to identify it as an advert and broke rules on encouraging excessive drinking.
The social media star was seen in the video making four cocktails by freepouring different alcohol.
After making them by mixing VK alcopops with several spirits, the 36-year-old care worker announces her intention to ‘do four in one’ and necks all four drinks in less than a minute and a half.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has now banned the video for encouraging excessive drinking and not being obviously identifiable as an advert.
The regulator explained that the video showed Ms Walsh standing behind a bar with a row of glasses in front of her whilst music plays in the background.
Addressing the camera, she says: “So for pres [sic] tonight, let me show you what we’re drinking...
We’re going to do four in one, because we’re getting lit tonight.”
Ms Walsh then makes four cocktails, saying ‘Let’s try it’ after making each one and quickly drinking them.
The cocktails paired different flavours of VK alcopops with vodka, peach schnapps, Amaretto and whiskey liqueur which were freepoured into the glasses. Images appeared on the screen with the ingredients for each cocktail, its name and VK logo. ASA complained the video was ‘irresponsible’, as it encouraged excessive consumption of alcohol, and was not identifiable as an ad.
Ms Walsh said VK had not paid her for the post and agreed to remove the video while it was under investigation.
TikTok said the promotion of alcohol was prohibited on their platform, and that the ad had been deleted.