Certain charities wanted the promo for Haig Club banned.
A Scottish whisky ad, starring David Beckham and directed by Guy Ritchie, has been cleared despite the concerns of alcohol charities in the UK.
The Haig Club promo sees Beckham and a number of his hipster friends converge on a secret Scottish location for a weekend of carefully manicured debauchery.
Drinks charity Alcohol Concern asked for the ad to be banned because it appealed to under 18s and linked drinking to social acceptance and success.
http://youtu.be/MaMuQPmzrrU
Alcohol Concern claimed that Beckham’s presence alone sent a confusing message about drinking to children, despite the fact that the former England captain turns 40 in May.
Drinks giant Diageo countered that Beckham “did not have a strong appeal to children and was not a person whose example children are likely to follow.”
The Advertising Standards Authority upheld that belief, stating: “We considered that, although Beckham’s early career would have meant that he held strong appeal to children at that time, the shift from football to commercial ventures, as well as his move to play in foreign leagues and subsequent retirement from football, meant that he was no longer likely to hold such appeal to children in 2014.
“Because we considered that David Beckham did not have strong appeal to children and was not likely to be a figure whose example children would follow, we concluded that the ad had not breached (UK advertising) code.”
Beckham’s image is carefully managed throughout the ad – he is never seen taking a sip of whisky, simply toasting to the camera along with his pals.
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