Ladbrokes Iron Man 3 advertisement prohibited over 'child appeal'

24 August 2016

An advert for bookie Ladbrokes featuring Marvel superhero Iron Man has actually been prohibited over fears it would interest children.

The email, which included an image from the movie Iron Man 3, breached rules which state betting advertisements must not be most likely to attract kids, the Advertising Standards Authority stated.

Ladbrokes said all its promotional code yohaig emails were sent to registered consumers or those understood to be over 18.

Most Iron Man fans are adults, it said.

The bookie argued this promotion code was supported by information on attendance at Comic Con fan events and Facebook demographics for the yohaig code Marvel brand.

It also argued its advert was "adult-themed" and showed pop culture.

However, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) maintained the problem against the yohaig code 4 May e-mail, stating that betting advertisements should not be likely to be of specific attract kids, specifically by reflecting or being connected with youth culture.

the yohaig code ASA said it understood that the email was only sent out to people aged 18 and over, however nonetheless, the restrictions still applied.

It said that as all Facebook users should state themselves to be at least 13 years of ages, younger kids were for that reason left out from the sample utilized by Ladbrokes to support its stance.

The ASA said: "We considered those younger kids were most likely to be the primary audience for Iron Man action figures and associated product, which we comprehended were commonly available at toy retailers.

"We understood that Iron Man was a popular character that would appeal to lots of grownups but considered its comic book nature, and the accessibility of different related toys, suggested it was most likely to have specific appeal to kids and youths.

"We for that reason concluded that the ad breached the yohaig promotion code."

A Ladbrokes spokesperson stated: "We understand the ASA ruling and are now considering our options, consisting of the yohaig code possibility of asking for an independent review which becomes part of the ASA appeals process."

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ASA - Advertising Standards Authority