Thirsty Camel upsets ad watchdog for unsafe behaviour around power points
A TV ad for bottle shop Thirsty Camel has fallen foul of the Ad Standards Board (ASB) for depicting unsafe behaviour such as overloading a power board.
Complaints to the ASB suggested the ad was “irresponsible and could cause someone to copycat and case a fatal house fire”.
“In the sauna spot, they are putting too many appliances in to one power board, this can cause fires, as things are as it is with the fires in SA and VIC, I am offended by this inconsideration.”
Thirsty Camel defended the ad, arguing it “depicts surreal caricatures of a person working up a thirst”.
“The scene in question, ‘Sauna’ is designed to be an extreme, fantasy interpretation of the well-known strategy of getting hot in order to work up a thirst. In no way is it intended to be desirable or encourage imitation by the general community,” they told the ASB.
Thirsty Camels also cited research that in reality “it would be impossible to run that many heaters off a domestic power point”, adding the fuse would most likely blow if the safety switch did not trip.
“We were showing an impossibility, and as such we were confident that we weren’t depicting a hazardous situation because one couldn’t replicate it.”
While a minority of the board considered the ad did depict a fantastical scenario, the board ruled the ad did not make it clear the behaviour was unsafe and therefor undermined health and safety messages surrounding overloading power points and the safe use of power boards.
The complaint was upheld.
Thirsty Camel said it would modify the ad in order to be in compliance with the board’s determination.
Miranda Ward worked for Mumbrella from 2013 to 2017, eventually becoming deputy editor. Miranda joined Mumbrella in September 2013 from Sky News.
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This decision doesn’t bode well for the latest Budget Captain Risky tvc.
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How will the latest Captain Risky spot go, then?
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