Dublin off-licence in hot water over 'funeral' Buckfast ad
An ad for Buckfast Tonic Wine has landed an Irish off-licence in hot water with the Advertising Standards Authority.
The tonic wine, known for being high in both alcohol and caffeine, is popular for the above reasons — with the unofficial motto of the Monk-brewed tonic wine being Buckfast gets you… never mind.
However, Molloy’s Liquor Store landed themselves in trouble with the ASA over a tongue-in-cheek ad, which claimed that Buckfast is great for any and all occasions: including job interviews and funerals.
An ad for Buckfast Tonic Wine has landed an Irish off-licence in hot water with the Advertising Standards Authority. Pic: Buckfast Tonic Wine
The ad, featured on Molloy’s website, read: ‘Are you tired of regular old wine that just gets you tipsy? Do you want a wine that packs a punch and leaves you feeling like a superhero?’
It also added that Buckfast would leave those who drink it ‘feeling like you’re on top of the world,’ with fake ‘testimonials’ saying that people would drink Bucky at job interviews, weddings, and family events such as funerals.
A complaint was lodged against the off-licence to the ASA, with the complainant saying that it was irresponsible in its portrayal of alcohol consumption.
The ad, which the off-licence said was tongue-in-cheek, said that people could feel ‘on top of the world’ after drinking Buckfast, and that people drink it to ‘get through’ family gatherings such as funerals. Pic: Buckfast Tonic Wine
The complainant said that the ad violated Code section 9.5(a), by implying that consuming alcohol would improve physical performance, personal qualities or capabilities, as well as Code Section 9.5(e) by saying you could drink the drink to ‘get through’ family gatherings; which failed to promote a pro social behaviour.
The ASA upheld the complaint, saying that ‘the advertisers said that the advertising had been generated by an artificial intelligence writing tool, and that its tone had been intended to be of a light, tongue-in-cheek style. Therefore, they said, that the copy was never intended to suggest any literal benefits or supposed qualities of the alcoholic product.
‘They conceded, however, that the wording – although presented in a humorous or informal manner- could be read in a manner that would not have been consistent with the requirements of Code sections 9.5(a) and 9.5(e).’
Pic: Buckfast Tonic Wine
The advertisers said that as a corrective measure, they removed the ad and replaced it with a factual description of the tonic wine, and apologised for any ‘unintended impression’ by the advert.
They added that they’ll introduce internal checks to ensure that AI-assisted content is reviewed for compliance before publishing.
