Laura Whitmore’s TikTok and Instagram posts for a brand of gin and vodka were banned for inappropriate targeting, implying that alcohol can boost confidence and weren’t clearly marked as advertising .
his commercial for the Muff Liquor Company, seen in July, features Whitmore drinking mint tea, then water, beer and “Muff & tonic”, while her choreography becomes increasingly energetic. .
The soundtrack includes the lyrics: “I’ll go crazy if you can’t be right here.”
Text on the screen reads “#MakemineaMuff” and “If drinks are dance moves @muffliquorco #makemineamuff #muffboss #irishown”.
One complainant, understanding that Whitmore is an investor in The Muff Liquor Company, questioned whether the advertisements could be clearly identified as marketing communications and were inappropriately targeted because the ads contained graphic design. alcoholic or not.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has investigated whether advertisements promote irresponsible drinking because they imply that alcohol can boost confidence and potentially change mood.
The company Puff Liquor said it asked Whitmore to remove the ad within 24 hours of receiving the complaint.
The company confirmed her as a shareholder but said she was not paid for advertising.
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They said 2.7% of Whitmore’s 1.6 million social media followers are under 18 and therefore understand that the product is not being inappropriately targeted at people under 18.
Since receiving notice of the complaint, they have agreed with Whitmore that future advertisements for The Muff Liquor Company will be reviewed by the company prior to posting.
Whitmore told the ASA that the hashtag “#muffboss” was used to declare her shareholder status and believes “#ad” would not be an appropriate disclaimer because she does not. paid for by The Puff Liquor Company for posts.
TikTok said Whitmore did not use its branded content disclosure tool, even though the post appeared to fall into this category.
Instagram said it had no comment on the investigation.
The ASA said the posts should have been clearly marked as advertising.
It notes that Whitmore is a former TV presenter love island – the fifth most viewed show by 4 to 15 year olds in Q2 2022. As a result, a large percentage of individuals under 18 have a TikTok account that is likely to engage with content related to love island on the platform.
The ASA said: “Even if those individuals do not follow Ms Whitmore, we consider it likely that the algorithm will determine that Ms Whitmore’s posts are of interest to them, meaning they will appear in the ‘page’. For you’ their”.
Referring to Whitmore dancing while drinking, the ASA added: “While we acknowledge that the ad is presented in a light tone, we believe that consumers will understand what the ad means. is that drinking can lead to changes in an individual’s behavior and can enhance an individual’s confidence.”
The ASA has ruled that the ad must not appear again.
