Ladbrokes Iron Man 3 Advertisement Banned over 'Kid Appeal'
Ladbrokes Iron Man 3 ad prohibited over 'child appeal'
24 August 2016
An advert for bookie Ladbrokes featuring Marvel superhero Iron Man has actually been prohibited over worries it would attract children.
The email, which included an image from the film Iron Man 3, breached guidelines which say gambling ads should not be likely to appeal to kids, the Advertising Standards Authority stated.
Ladbrokes stated all its advertising emails were sent out to registered clients or those understood to be over 18.
Most Iron Man fans are grownups, it said.
The bookmaker argued this was supported by data on participation at Comic Con fan events and Facebook demographics for the Marvel brand name.
It also argued its advert was "adult-themed" and showed popular culture.
However, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) supported the complaint against the 4 May email, stating that betting ads should not be most likely to be of particular interest kids, especially by reflecting or being associated with youth culture.
The ASA said it understood that the email was only sent out to individuals aged 18 and over, but nonetheless, the limitations still applied.
It said that as all Facebook users should declare themselves to be a minimum of 13 years old, younger kids were therefore excluded from the sample used by Ladbrokes to support its stance.
The ASA stated: "We thought about those more youthful children were likely to be the main audience for Iron Man action figures and associated product, which we understood were widely readily available at toy retailers.
"We comprehended that Iron Man was a popular character that would interest numerous grownups however considered its comics nature, and the availability of various associated toys, suggested it was likely to have specific appeal to kids and youths.
Ladbrokes Iron Man 3 ad prohibited over 'child appeal'
24 August 2016
An advert for bookie Ladbrokes featuring Marvel superhero Iron Man has actually been prohibited over worries it would attract children.
The email, which included an image from the film Iron Man 3, breached guidelines which say gambling ads should not be likely to appeal to kids, the Advertising Standards Authority stated.
Ladbrokes stated all its advertising emails were sent out to registered clients or those understood to be over 18.
Most Iron Man fans are grownups, it said.
The bookmaker argued this was supported by data on participation at Comic Con fan events and Facebook demographics for the Marvel brand name.
It also argued its advert was "adult-themed" and showed popular culture.
However, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) supported the complaint against the 4 May email, stating that betting ads should not be most likely to be of particular interest kids, especially by reflecting or being associated with youth culture.
The ASA said it understood that the email was only sent out to individuals aged 18 and over, but nonetheless, the limitations still applied.
It said that as all Facebook users should declare themselves to be a minimum of 13 years old, younger kids were therefore excluded from the sample used by Ladbrokes to support its stance.
The ASA stated: "We thought about those more youthful children were likely to be the main audience for Iron Man action figures and associated product, which we understood were widely readily available at toy retailers.
"We comprehended that Iron Man was a popular character that would interest numerous grownups however considered its comics nature, and the availability of various associated toys, suggested it was likely to have specific appeal to kids and youths.