Paddy Power, one of the biggest bookmakers in the UK has been pulled up by the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland (ASAI). The operator which belongs to Flutter Entertainment sent in an appeal to ASAI over six complaints that claimed one of its ads was racist and bigoted against the English.
The ASAI noted that the complaints they received claimed that the ad was racist, offensive, inflammatory, and bigoted against the English. Some complainants event went as far as stating that the ad tried to breed hatred.
The advertising watchdog in Ireland upheld the complaints against Paddy Power in part due to the current political climate: the UK’s departure from the European Union which brings about the possibility of bringing back a hard border on Ireland, which can be a highly charged issue for many of the Irish.
The ad was run between February 1 and 3, 2019, during the 2019 Six Nations rugby tournament, appearing in the Irish Times, the Irish Star, and the Irish Sun, as well as on Paddy Power’s social media pages on Facebook and Twitter.
The offending text in the ad was:
Dear England, sorry for the last two years of pain, suffering and humiliation. Another 798 and we’ll be even.
Paddy Power stated that the ad’s intended humour hinged on three references: the consistent defeats suffered by the English rugby team at the hands of the Irish rugby team in the last two years, the publicised woes of the English as a result of the Brexit referendum and the historical fact of English rule in Ireland.
Paddy Power maintained that the ads were perfectly in line with their brand, as an irreverent, edgy take meant to poke good-natured fun and engage in banter, which is a common activity among international sporting rivalries. And while Paddy Power was apologetic for any offense elicited by their ad, the company maintained that the vocal minority complaining against the ad were being irrational, noting that the ad was mostly well-received by the public.
The Complaints Committee of the ASAI acknowledged the satirical intent of the ad, but upheld the complaints because of language that evokes pain, suffering, and humiliation.
Since Paddy Power is no longer running the ad, the Complaints Committee of the ASAI recommended no sanctions for Paddy Power. However, a clear warning to advertisers was sent out asking them to be mindful of political realities when using international relations for humorous intent.
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