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Diageo slammed for Captain Morgan ad which ‘strongly’ appealed to children.

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By Natalie Mortimer, N/A

October 15, 2014 | 2 min read

Diageo has been hit by a ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after it was found its Captain Morgan’s ad featuring an animated Parrot would ‘strongly’ appeal to children.

The TV ad, which promoted frozen cocktail product Parrot Bay, containing Captain Morgan’s, showed the parrot alongside the on screen text, ‘Freeze a parrot today… contains alcohol’.

It aired on Film4 at 6pm during the film King Solomon's Mines, which prompted one viewer to complain that the ad was irresponsible.

Defending the advert, Diageo commented that the macaw character was created from the product’s logo, and had been careful to ensure that it didn’t talk.

The drinks producer added that the TV spot was scheduled during a film which was made in 1985, and was therefore unlikely to appeal to children.

The ASA disagreed and stressed that the parrot, alongside slapstick humour in the advert, “was likely to strongly appeal to children”. The watchdog said the size of the text ‘contains alcohol’ was not large enough, compared to the ‘freeze a parrot today’ slogan which was larger and more prominent on the screen.

The ad must not be broadcast again in its current form.

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