e-cigarette TV advertising goes ahead after ASA requires explicit mention of nicotine content
An e-cigarette brand is returning to TV advertising after the ASA ruled that the adverts must contain explicit mention of the product’s nicotine content.
The adverts rollout during November
The ASA banned prior advertising which did not mention the nicotine element.
VIP has debuted two TV spots, shown after the 9.00pm watershed.
“I think it’s safe to say that our ads could be considered controversial and definitely push the boundaries,” VIP co-owner, David Levin.
“However, we make no apologies for this. Due to advertising regulations we were not permitted to include the product in the ad, so we decided to take a tongue in cheek approach to appeal to an adult audience…”
He added that the adverts now make it clear that the products contain nicotine.
“We anticipate that the creative treatment we have chosen for this campaign will cause comment and we anticipate a reaction, but I want to make it very clear that as a leading e-cigarette manufacturer we take our responsibilities extremely seriously.”
The adverts will roll out nationally during November.
e-cigarette image via Shutterstock