Diageo hit by another Captain Morgan ad ban

Diageo has been hit by a second advertising ban for its Captain Morgan rum this year over complaints the brand’s Facebook page was “irresponsible”.

Diageo has come under fire for an “irresponsible” Facebook advertisement for its Captain Morgan rum brand

UK regulatory body the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint lodged by the Youth Alcohol Advertising Council (YAAC) claiming that a picture posted on Captain Morgan’s Facebook page was “irresponsible because it implied alcohol could overcome boredom”.

The picture depicted pirate Captain Morgan raising a glass and cheering while surrounded by his crew while text at the top of the image read: “Wednesday. I’m declaring war on mid-week boredom”.

Diageo argued that the ad did not mention alcohol and that alcohol did not feature as the main aspect of the image. The group also highlighted that the advert was written in the same tone to other Captain Morgan Facebook posts that encourage mid-week meetings with friends.

Diageo emphasised that the ad was one of a series of posts during the course of the week, which included two responsible drinking posts, while Facebook said the ad did not violate any of their internal policies and was appropriately age-gated.

However, the ASA said that it interpreted the post as suggesting viewers could alleviate mid-week boredom and change their moods by drinking Captain Morgan rum, thus breaching its advertising code.

The organisation has ruled that the advert must not appear again in its current form.

This ruling follows the ASA’s decision in February this year to pull a television advertisement for Captain Morgan rum which it claimed “linked alcohol with aggressive behaviour”.