Posted on 07/27/2005 8:57:01 AM PDT by MadIvan
Drinks companies have been ordered to use uglier men in their advertising campaigns.The Advertising Standards Authority believes "balding" and "paunchy" men would be less likely to encourage women to drink to achieve social success.The new advertising code stresses that links must not be made between alcohol and seduction.
A campaign for popular sparkling drink Lambrini has become the first to fall foul of the new rules.
The Authority objected to a poster which showed three women "hooking" a slim, young man in a parody of a fairground game.
The industry regulator instructed the firm: "We would advise that the man in the picture should be unattractive - ie overweight, middle-aged, balding etc.
"In its current form we consider that the ad is in danger of implying that the drink may bring sexual/social success, because the man in question looks quite attractive and desirable to the girls.
"If the man was clearly unattractive, we think that this implication would be removed from the ad."
Lambrini owner John Halewood said the Authority should not be in the business of defining who was and was not unattractive enough to star in ads.
He said: "It makes some very understandable rulings to encourage sensible drinking but we're not sure they're qualified to decide for the nation who's sexy and who's not.
"Sexual attraction is happily one of the few things in life that can't be governed."
Perhaps RWOS need to give an opinion here, Dash.
Ivan, Are you familiar with Kurt Vonnegut and his "Handicapper General" character? Reminds me of this.
I think there's a bit of Britishisms going on in the title. "Drinks firms" for one.
Those lying bastids! They told me I could get my acting foot in the door by doing those commericals. Now I know all they wanted me for was my looks.
Seriously...
I mean how are they gonna find all the fat, ugly, balding guys who like to drink...?
:)
"I picked the wrong day to quit drinking"
It's always nice to see people openly admit they're bigots. It just makes me even less willing to go along with political correctness in other areas.
I, of course, am referring to my wife...
Your wife is a middle aged balding man?!!!!??
Does the "beer goggle" effect apply to women, too?
Ping!
.....oh!
'For' and 'In' are in reversed order, I believe.
/ComprehensionNazi voice
Oh man, you need to put a warning on posts like that...
I've got coffee all over my keyboard now...
And, I'm gonna be smelling coffee all day
Let me rephrase that....
I am always amazed at how stupid they think we are. Because of course no one EVER makes fun of commercials!
No, some non ugly person tells us to buy something and we lose all control of our faculties and buy it.
If it worked that way, big business would do backflips and Madison Avenue would be paved with gold :)
Can we get bloated, bitchy, snarling women in the femine hygene comemrcals too?
I don't think we really want to discourage the use of any of those products, but it would make the commercials a lot more fun.
Ouch! That was uncalled for.
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