The Guide Dogs charity has been reprimanded by the advertising watchdog for running a campaign designed to get children to pester their parents into sponsoring a puppy.
The radio ad, which launched in November, featured a young girl visiting Father Christmas in his grotto. After asking for a puppy, a request the girl’s mother has previously denied, Father Christmas says that her mother could sponsor a guide dog puppy for £1, and would receive photos, “pupdates” and a cuddly toy.
A listener challenged whether the ad breached the advertising code because it was targeting children to encourage them to ask their parents to make a purchase on their behalf.
Guide Dogs, the working name of The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, said it did not accept sponsorships from under-18s. The organisation said it appeals to adults and the radio ad did not encourage children to sponsor a puppy, but encouraged parents to consider sponsoring a dog as a Christmas gift.
The Advertising Standards Authority said that the use of the child visiting Father Christmas’s grotto asking for a present they had been told they could not have, and then been told how to get it, was likely to appeal to children.
“The ad must not be broadcast again in its current form,” said the ASA. “We told the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association to take care when featuring elements which were likely to be of particular interest to children in future festive advertising and to ensure that their fund-aising messages were not addressed to them.”
