A Hooch ad featuring Vine and YouTube star Joe Charman has been banned after complaints his “juvenile” trick broke rules for marketing alcohol to under-18s.
Charman – whose catchphrase is “Yeah I got skills ... What you gonna do about it?” – ran a promotion for Hooch that appeared on his Facebook page.
#ImUglyBut I've got skills so... What you gonna do about it?! 😝
— Joe Charman (@JoeOnVine) July 9, 2016
In the short clip, one of a number that Charman has done to promote Hooch, Charman was seen using an inflatable to surf across a swimming pool to deliver bottles to his friends.
The Advertising Standards Authority received a complaint that the ad showed Charman behaving in a juvenile manner.
The complainant contended that because Charman was so popular on Vine, particularly with young people, the ad breached the advertising code.
Global Brands, which trades as Hooch, saidCharman’s Facebook page showed him appearing to achieve seemingly impossible tricks, but his performances did not feature “juvenile or reckless behaviour”.
Charman said it was obvious his skills-related videos were “not real or achieveable” and they were intended to entertain, not to promote juvenile behaviour.
The ASA said that the advertising code states that alcohol ads are not meant to appeal particularly to under-18s and that people should not be shown “behaving in an adolescent or juvenile manner”.
“We considered that showing Joe Charman, who was the main focus of the ad, carrying out a stunt using a swimming pool inflatable depicted behaviour likely to be regarded as juvenile, and therefore likely to be of particular appeal to under-18s,” the ASA ruled.
“We concluded that the ad breached the [advertising] code. We told Global Brands Ltd t/a Hooch to ensure that those playing a significant role in their future ads were not shown behaving in an adolescent or juvenile manner.”
