Store carpeted by advert watchdog
Reporter A “LIGHT-hearted New Year” advert for a Newcastle carpet company has been banned after advertising watchdogs ruled that it promoted “excessive and dangerous” drinking.
The ad, for Four Lane Ends firm Carpet Studio, appeared on the front page of Newcastle magazine Right Up Your Street in January last year. It showed a seemingly unconscious woman lying on the floor alongside an overturned wine glass, and featured text saying ‘Happy New Year’ with the word ‘Year’ crossed out and replaced with ‘Floor!.’
The image received complaints from two residents who said it was “socially irresponsible” and encouraged excessive drinking.
The Advertising Standards Authority agreed, ruling that the advert should not appear again in its current form as it “trivialised such drinking styles”.
Carpet Studio told the authority that the ad “was not intended to cause any offence and was instead a light-hearted New Year message”.
They said that while they did not condone excessive drinking, there was only one empty glass present in the image which was a stock image selected online. They added that at that time of year many people let their hair down and revelled in the festivities, often overindulging and drinking excessively, and as a result may require new flooring due to damages caused.
Right Up Your Street said the advert would not appear again in future and was “accepted in good faith after discussions with Carpet Studio who, rather than intending to promote excessive drinking, wanted to reflect the essence of New Year fun”.
But the ASA said: “We considered that the image featuring a woman lying on the floor alongside an overturned wine glass and balloons, together with the statement “Happy New Floor!” with “Year” crossed out, suggested that the woman was unconscious due to excessive alcohol consumption during the festive season. We considered that in this context the ad portrayed a style of drinking that was excessive and dangerous, in a humorous tone which trivialised such drinking styles. We therefore concluded that the ad promoted excessive drinking and was in breach of the Code.”
The authority also investigated the complainants’ claims that the image was “inappropriate and demeaning, as the woman’s head was not visible”.
But they did not uphold this part of the complaint, saying the woman “was not portrayed in a sexualised or objectifying manner”.