‘Irresponsible’ Diageo ad banned by ASA

The ad, seen on May 14 2016, featured a party on an old-fashioned wooden sailing ship.

A man with Captain Morgan’s face superimposed over his own was shown dancing with friends, upending a sofa, and using a rope to swing from one deck to another, as on-screen text stated “Captain the dancefloor”​ and “Captain the night”​.

The man was then shown posing with one foot on the railing at the front of the ship, with on-screen text that stated “Put your captain face on”​.

Finally, an image of a range of Captain Morgan products appeared alongside text, stating “Live like the captain”​.

Alcohol Concern and a member of the public successfully challenged whether the ad was irresponsible because it implied that drinking alcohol could contribute to an individual’s popularity or confidence.

Success of the social occasion​

However, a second complaint – that the success of the social occasion depended on the presence or consumption of alcohol – was not upheld.

Diageo said that the ad was part of a campaign to raise awareness of the Captain Morgan brand and emphasise the attitude that it embodied – one of camaraderie, enjoying time with friends and living life to the full.

It claimed the tag lines used were consistent with this and also suggested taking charge of a night out and staying in control.

It stated that no alcohol was shown in the party scenes, and that the product was only shown in a still image at the end of the ad, alongside a responsible drinking message. Furthermore, it did not think there was anything to suggest that the individuals shown had consumed or would consume alcohol.

Diageo added that even if the use of the superimposed face was interpreted as indicating that the character had consumed Captain Morgan rum, it still believed that there was nothing in the ad to suggest that either his personal attributes or the atmosphere of the event had been changed by drinking alcohol.

The ASA acknowledged Diageo’s view that imposing Captain Morgan’s face over the central figure was intended to link the man’s behaviour and experience to the brand’s fun attitude.

Use of the Captain’s face​

However, while it agreed that the use of the Captain’s face associated the character and his actions directly with the brand, it considered that viewers would equate the brand and the character with the product itself.

Viewers were, therefore, likely to understand that the central figure’s behaviour resulted from his consumption of Captain Morgan rum.

The ASA paid particular attention to the central character dancing in an uninhibited way, posing triumphantly at the bow of the ship and acting in a mischievous manner (for example, by upending the sofa), which it said suggested confidence.

It also considered the phrase “Captain the dancefloor” ​also implied enhanced confidence and abilities on the dancefloor.

In that context, it believed the phrases “Put your captain face on”​ and “Live like the captain”​ would be understood by consumers as invitations to achieve a confident, uninhibited attitude through consuming Captain Morgan rum.

Although the ad did not explicitly depict drinking alcohol as resulting in a change in the central character’s behaviour in a ‘before and after’ scenario, it considered that the superimposed Captain Morgan face implied that he had already consumed the product and thus linked his confident behaviour to this consumption.

It concluded that the ad implied that drinking alcohol could enhance personal qualities and was, therefore, irresponsible.

The ASA ruled that the ad must not appear again in its current form. It told Diageo not to imply that alcohol could enhance people’s confidence.