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JDA Tombola

JDA's Tombola ads banned by ASA

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

March 25, 2009 | 3 min read

Two TV adverts for online bingo brand Tombola have been banned by the ASA due to the possibility that they may promote gambling to children.

The ads, created by the JDA Group, feature carnival rides and animated, brightly coloured bingo balls with smiling faces which prompted one person to complain that it was likely to appeal to children or young persons.

The client said that the intention was that the ad acted as a metaphor for the online bingo experience which it hoped would attract new players and not a younger audience and that it had taken into account other examples of animated ads. It also claimed to have acted on advice given by Clearcast (the ASA’s advertising guidance division) to ensure that the ads appealed to those over 18 years of age.

Clearcast admitted that it had been involved in the approval of the animation at the early stages of the campaign and took the view that the ads were no more likely to appeal to children simply due to the animation. It also felt that the fairground setting had a general appeal.

Despite this, the ASA has chosen to ban the ads in their current form following an assessment where it concluded that the inclusion of a big top, ice skating ring, rollercoaster and fireworks would appeal to under 15’s. It also noted the balls, with the happy, smiling faces resembled brightly coloured sweets.

It also claimed that a reference to chat rooms where players could "make new friends" was considered would have particular appeal to older children and young persons.

The ASA also noted in one of the ads that the reference to playing small, obtainable amounts of money, "2p a ticket" and while it did not object to the reference it was considered that it was problematic in an ad which featured elements likely to be of particular appeal to children or young persons.

As a result the ASA has ruled that the ads must not be shown again in their current form.

JDA Tombola

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