Ladbrokes Iron Man 3 Advertisement Banned over 'Kid Appeal'

Ladbrokes Iron Man 3 advertisement prohibited over 'child appeal'


24 August 2016


An advert for bookmaker Ladbrokes including Marvel superhero Iron Man has been banned over worries it would appeal to kids.


The e-mail, which featured an image from the movie Iron Man 3, breached guidelines which say betting ads must not be likely to interest kids, the Advertising Standards Authority stated.


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


Most Iron Man fans are grownups, it stated.


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


It likewise argued its advert was "adult-themed" and showed popular culture.


However, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) supported the grievance versus the 4 May e-mail, saying that betting ads should not be likely to be of particular interest children, specifically by reflecting or being associated with youth culture.


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


It stated that as all Facebook users need to declare themselves to be at least 13 years old, younger children were therefore omitted from the sample utilized by Ladbrokes to support its stance.


The ASA said: "We thought about those more youthful kids were likely to be the main audience for Iron Man action figures and related product, which we comprehended were commonly available at toy merchants.


"We comprehended that Iron Man was a popular character that would appeal to lots of adults however considered its comics nature, and the schedule of numerous related toys, meant it was likely to have particular interest kids and young people.