Legal Research

A in E not meant to be like A&E - honest guv ?

By scott

It’s been a while since an Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruling made me laugh, but their decision against Alcohol in Emergency Ltd for a circular, for their alcohol delivery service (in the Southampton area) did raise a smile. Not due to the ruling, I might add, but due to the wonderfully believable response to the claims made by the complainant.

The Circular stated: “A in E” Southampton’s premier drink delivery service Your quick link to drink www.ALCOHOLINEMERGENCY.CO.UK.”, and, it would seen, also included a picture of a flashing light on the top of the van.

The complainant thought the play on words “A&E” was offensive in light of the number of alcohol related deaths and that the general tone encouraged an irresponsible attitude to drinking alcohol by portraying alcohol as indispensible.

Not so, replied Alcohol in Emergency (AinE). Alcohol in Emergency” was not a play on the phrase “Accident and Emergency.”, and “AinE” was just used for ‘brevity’ and again was not to comparable to “A&E”. And that flashing light? Merely intended to communicate to readers that they offered a night-time delivery service.

Ok, hands up if you believe any of that? Hmm, not seeing any hands …

No hands went up at the ASA either who found the phrase “Alcohol in Emergency” and its shortened “A in E” combined with the overall presentation of the ad was likely to be seen as encouraging and condoning irresponsible consumption of alcohol, and suggesting that someone might urgently need alcohol in a comparable way to requiring medical attention. They told Alcohol in Emergency it could not use either the name “Alcohol in Emergency” or its abbreviated form “AinE” in future marketing material.

I should say that I have no problem with the idea behind the service, but surely someone there should have realised that advertising alcohol with a name playing on A&E is not very clever.

Full post as published by Information Overload on August 05, 2009 (boomark / email).