UK ASA bans Coral TV advert

Coral are the latest sports betting operator to have their advertisement pulled by the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), after it was found guilty of linking gambling with sexual content and seduction.

The TV advertisement shows two men at a barber shop reading debating placing a bet on their mobile phones, before a woman, wearing a jockey’s outfit that left her midriff bare, walked into the shop.

The woman was then shown holding a sign bearing the odds for a horse in an upcoming race, before bending over the first man and touching his mobile phone with her whip. The TV advertisement finishes by using the slogan ‘Go on! Stick one on It…’

Coral marketing have defended the content of the advertisement, stating that although it used an attractive female to drive the message, in no way could the content be linked with sexual seduction, success or enhanced attractiveness. Coral further added that at no point had the women flirted with the other characters in the advert, or in any way try to seduce others.

An ASA statement on the banning of the Coral advert stated  “Because she represented the Coral Interactive brand and was shown playing a seductive role in the scenario depicted, we concluded that the ad linked gambling to seduction and was therefore in breach of the Code”

ASA will not allow the advert to be broadcast with its current context