The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has removed an ad on the clothing brand Sisters & Seekers’ website, for being ‘harmful and irresponsible’ and ‘glamorising’ underage smoking.
The ad in question was featured on a product listing page for Sisters & Seekers and depicted an image of a young model sitting on a couch lighting a cigarette along with a visibly open can of lager.
In it defense, the clothing brand claimed that the ad had been part of a wider campaign, which had been centred around storytelling and the creative aimed to convey the feeling of someone spending a weekend in their hometown with nothing to do.
It was intended to depict a ‘working-class persona’.
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However, the ASA ruled that consumers viewing the image would be aware of the fact that the model ‘appeared to be under the age of 25 in a situation in which alcohol played a significant role in the setting and styling of the image’.
The ASA added that consumers viewing the image would immediately be drawn to the fact that the model was in the process of lighting the cigarette and this was reinforced by the flame of her lighter, which caught the eye.
The advertising watchdog ruled for the ad to be removed and the clothing brand to ensure any future ads which included alcohol did not feature people who were or appeared to be under 25 years of age.
