Ad description
A TV ad for Missguided, seen in October 2019, featured text that read "IF YOU REMEMBER ONE THING FROM LAST NIGHT … MAKE SURE IT'S YOUR OUTFIT", intercut with various scenes of young women in darkened corridors.
Issue
The complainants challenged whether the ad was irresponsible because it implicitly referred to irresponsible or immoderate drinking.
Response
Missguided Ltd said the ad was aimed at young women in the run up to the Christmas period. There were numerous parties across the season and the statement "IF YOU REMEMBER ONE THING FROM LAST NIGHT … MAKE SURE IT'S YOUR OUTFIT" referred to the numerous outfits their audiences wore, that could merge into one and become easily forgettable. They said the ad had not been shot in a bar, nightclub, or any other setting associated with alcohol and none of the women featured appeared to be intoxicated.
Clearcast said the ad was not set in a bar or night club and that there were no scenes in the advert that alluded to alcohol being consumed. They understood the main message of the ad to be that Missguided sold clothing of such high quality and impact that they would be remembered over any other aspect of a night out.
Assessment
Not upheld
The ASA noted that the ad was only 15 seconds long and that it contained numerous cut scenes of women in different outfits. Each scene was so short that it was difficult to establish the setting or what was happening, but in one a woman appeared to be being sprayed with water while in others the women were holding large barking dogs on leashes and sitting on a sofa in a largely unfurnished room. A heavy bass beat played throughout.
The statement “IF YOU REMEMBER ONE THING FROM LAST NIGHT” appeared on-screen shortly before “MAKE SURE IT'S YOUR OUTFIT”, but neither was spoken in the voice-over. We recognised that in certain circumstances most viewers would link the statement “IF YOU REMEMBER ONE THING FROM LAST NIGHT … MAKE SURE IT'S YOUR OUTFIT” to immoderate consumption of alcohol and resulting memory loss. However, the ad did not feature places where people would typically consume alcohol, no alcohol was shown, none of the women were seen drinking, they did not appear to be drunk and the advertiser was not an alcohol brand. The edgy feel created by the music, the unusual events and the way they were cut together did not invoke a sense of the Christmas party season but neither did it create a narrative that appeared linked to alcohol.
For those reasons we considered the ad did not imply, condone, or encourage irresponsible or immoderate drinking.
We therefore concluded the ad had not breached the Code. We investigated under BCAP Code rule 19.2 (Alcohol), but did not find it in breach.
Action
No further action necessary.
