ASA right to ban "irresponsible" Twix ad
The advertising industry regulator has banned an advert for Twix, with some commentators arguing this was an over-reaction and calling for the ad to be reinstated. But we’re not so sure. Here we state the case for brands to be more responsible and ‘think’ about the way in which their campaigns can be interpreted by those seeing them.
Did the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) overreact, or was their decision to ban this Twix ad campaign justified? Considering how some individuals tend to imitate behaviors seen on screen, I believe the ASA made the right call.
For context, here is the banned advert:
Be mindful
Brands have a responsibility, like it or not, to consider how audiences will receive and interpret their messages.
In PR, each time we write a press statement for a client we must always ask ourselves, “What are all the ways in which what we are saying can be perceived and perverted?”
This is even more important when it comes to crisis comms. As a lawyer we worked on a case with told me, it isn’t always about what you say that matters, it is how the person receiving the information interprets it.
Brands have a responsibility, like it or not, to consider how audiences will receive and interpret their messages.
There will always be people who are quite simply eejits looking to deliberately twist your words for the sake of stoking the fire and shining the limelight on themselves. But too bad, that’s the sort of outcome you have to bear in mind when crafting your stories.
It is hard to so this, I admit. After all, why should it be your responsibility to anticipate and pander to the innumerable ways in which someone might reflect on what you are about to say. But that is the job of a communicator.
Surrounded by idiots, but they know how to hurt
We live in a society where the majority will see the message for what it is, whilst some are negheads who love nothing more than to critique and bemoan the statements of others. They are idiots. We are surrounded by idiots. However, these same idiots can still cause us problems.
So, when creating an ad or PR campaign, brands and businesses need to take time out before pressing the go-live button to thrash out all possible reactions to it and prepare accordingly.
If they don’t, then thousands of pounds could be lost. Not to mention umpteen hours of great work flushed down he loo.
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