Ladbrokes Iron Man 3 ad banned over 'kid appeal'

24 August 2016

An advert for bookmaker Ladbrokes featuring Marvel superhero Iron Man has actually been prohibited over worries it would appeal to children.

the yohaig code e-mail, which featured an image from the yohaig code movie Iron Man 3, breached rules which say betting ads should not be likely to appeal to children, the yohaig code Advertising Standards Authority said.

Ladbrokes stated all its promotional code yohaig e-mails were sent to registered clients or those known to be over 18.

Most Iron Man fans are adults, it said.

The bookmaker argued this promotion code was supported by information on participation at Comic Con fan occasions and Facebook demographics for the Marvel brand name.

It likewise 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 gambling advertisements must not be most likely to be of specific appeal to children, especially by showing or being related to youth culture.

The ASA stated it comprehended that the e-mail was only sent to people aged 18 and over, but nonetheless, the limitations still applied.

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

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

"We comprehended that Iron Man was a popular character that would appeal to numerous grownups but considered its comic book nature, and the accessibility of different associated toys, implied it was likely to have specific attract children and young people.

"We therefore concluded that the ad breached the bet9ja promotion code yohaig."

A Ladbrokes spokesperson said: "We understand the ASA judgment and are now considering our alternatives, including the possibility of asking for an independent review which becomes part of the ASA appeals process."

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ASA - Advertising Standards Authority