The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

-d -h -min -sec

ASAI Advertising

Irish ad watchdog sees red over Pulse nightclub's 'Shag a ginger night' poster

Author

By John McCarthy, Opinion Editor

March 22, 2016 | 2 min read

Pulse nightclub of Letterkenny has received a slap on the wrists from the Advertising Standards Agency Ireland for a crass ad promoting a "shag a ginger" event.

An ad which appeared in regional press and on Joe.ie featured pictures of two young people with red hair alongside packets of Durex condoms amid the caption “FREE CONDOM GIVEAWAY”.

Boasting DJ Ginger Nuts on the decks, the event also had an option for entrants to have their hair dyed ginger by a hairdressing team.

Quoting one complainant, the watchdog said: “She considered the marketing communication to be highly offensive and derogatory. She queried why it was considered funny to ridicule people because of the colour of their hair. She said that having experienced both verbal and physical abuse as a child because of her red hair, this type of advertising was damaging to the mental health of young people.”

The complaint was upheld under section 2.7 of the code granted when the “advertiser/promoter fails to respond, or unreasonably delays responding, to the Authority”.

The advertising should not be used in the same format again.

ASAI Advertising

More from ASAI

View all

Trending

Industry insights

View all
Add your own content +