On the Beach advert. Is it just me?

[MoodySky]

Or is it borderline offensive? I like to swear as well as the next person but this just sounds so crude and awful. I can imagine if you're a bit hard of hearing then you'd be quite shocked.

I don't often get annoyed by this type of thing but this is really winding me up at the moment.

I reported it last year

This was the response:
Your case reference: xxx On The Beach Ltd
Thank you for contacting us with your complaint about an ad for On the Beach.
You may be interested to know that we recently received a number of complaints raising similar concerns to yours. Based on the nature of the concerns raised in these complaints, we decided to ask the independent ASA Councill_ to look at the issues raised. After careful consideration, however, they have decided that no further action should be taken this time. Please find more information below.
Your complaint
We received 135 complaints.

1. 129 complainants, who believed the word "booking" was purposefully pronounced to sound like a swear word, objected that the ads were offensive.

1. 45 complainants, some of whom reported seeing Ad A during programmes such as a Harry Potter film and Junior Bake Off and others who noted that the ad featured and targeted families, challenged whether it was scheduled appropriately as they believed the reference to an expletive was unsuitable for children. Eight complainants challenged whether the ads irresponsibly condoned or encouraged swearing amongst children.

1. Four complainants challenged whether the ads were irresponsible because the depiction of the family normalised and encouraged rude and greedy behaviour. One complainant found Ad A particularly distasteful in the context of the cost-of-living crisis.

1. Four complainants, who believed the daughter’s swimsuit was too revealing, challenged whether the ads were harmful and sexualised the young girl.

Our rules
Advertisements should contain nothing that is likely to cause serious or widespread offence, harm or be deemed irresponsible. We base our decisions on the content of the ad, when and where it appears, the audience and the type of product or service being advertised.

This article explains more about how we assess cases in this area: https://www.asa.org.uk/news/bad-taste-or-offensive.htmll_.

The ASA Council’s decision – no further investigation

1. Council regarded that the word “booking” was used at the beginning of the ads in a context that lent itself to substitution with an expletive and that some viewers may have understood the use of “booking” as word play on the word “fucking”. However, Council considered that the voice-over artist enunciated the word clearly and the accompanying on-screen text “BOOKING GENIUSES” and subsequent voiced phrase “when you book like a genius, you can holiday like a fool” further distinguished the word so as not to be confused with the word “fucking”. Given that the ads did not use any explicit language, Council concluded that, although some viewers might find the connotation and word play distasteful, it was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.

1. Council understood that Clearcast had not applied a scheduling restriction to Ad A, which they considered appropriate given its content. Council regarded that “booking” was sufficiently dissimilar to “fucking” as to be unlikely to be recognised as a reference to a swear word by children who were not already familiar with the word or associated phrases. Council considered that children who were old enough to interpret a degree of innuendo would be likely to understand that the humour was derived from the substitution rather than the use of an expletive and would be unlikely to be adversely affected by the content. While Council acknowledged that a small number of complainants had reported hearing their children or grandchildren repeat the phrase after seeing the ad, they considered that this was not tantamount to encouraging children to swear because the ad did not contain any expletives. Council therefore concluded that the ad had not been inappropriately scheduled and was unlikely to condone or encourage swearing amongst children.

1. Council considered the ads were likely to be understood as a light-hearted portrayal of a family holiday and representative of the excitement of holiday-time. Council noted the overall tone of the ads, facilitated by Paddy McGuinness’ voiceover, was exaggerated and over-the-top, and they considered it unlikely that viewers would see this as reflective of how people should behave on holiday. Council considered the voiced phrases “Fill ya boots, son” and “Slap on your best smug face because you, my friend, are in the lounge” were likely to be understood as a humorous way to highlight the perks of the promoted free lounge access and not as encouragement for holidaymakers to disregard their own manners while travelling. While Council understood wider concerns about the cost-of-living crisis, there was nothing in the ads that depicted over-consumption or promoted rude or wasteful behaviour. While Council appreciated that some viewers may consider the ads to be distasteful, they concluded that they were unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.

1. Council noted that that the daughter wore a swimsuit which they considered was contextually appropriate for a child to wear on the beach. Council regarded that there was nothing sexual in the way the child was shown clothed or in their actions, and therefore Council concluded the ads were unlikely to be interpreted generally as encouraging or condoning the sexualisation of children, and unlikely to cause harm.

* * Action taken As your complaint raises similar concerns to those already considered by Council, we won’t take any further action this time. We will, however, keep a record of your complaint for reference in our future assessments. We will also take your complaint into account in our regular, proactive ‘intelligence gathering’ sweeps, where we analyse a range of information—including complaints made to us—to report on issues, even when they have not broken the advertising rules, that have caused concern.

We hope this helps to explain our decision, and thank you again for contacting us.

Yours sincerely,

Louise Kendaru
Complaints Executive

What a weird thing to get bent of shape about. The advert doesn't bother me, but hey ho, each to their own. I get annoyed by certain adverts. Not this one though. And I like Paddy McGuinness. 😃 LMFAO at people reporting it. A whole 135 people. Oooh WOW! 😂 I bet the ASA had a good laugh at this!!! Some people need to get a job and, some hobbies!

I do like the ad with Sarah Lancashire in too. I do love her though, and am amused at how Yorkshire Tea have got her playing Catherine Cawood (from Happy Valley) in it!

.

You’re always rolling on the floor laughing until you cry over every single comment and I’m the ‘little weirdo’? Ok….

In fairness, your comments to @DelilahRay and me were odd!! And quite rude!

Do people really report adverts? I assume they use green ink to do so.

How do we know they are northern, do they speak?

😂

The last flight we went on which gave lounge access but the airline sorry paddy urline didn’t have its own lounge at Manchester (could have been Lufthansa) was full of very loud beer swillers at 6am. I did think that’s on the bloody beach giving access to all! I am northern but don't think I’m a gammon thing, I can’t remember what tradfam meant.

@LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway ^I do like the ad with Sarah Lancashire in too. I do love her though, and am amused at how Yorkshire Tea have got her playing Catherine Cawood (from Happy Valley) in it!
.
^

exactly, it's fabulous

They weren’t odd and I’m sorry I touched a nerve because I don’t want to use OTB. I’m not the target demographic for that service, and this is ok. You clearly are their target market and are hurt others don’t see the service as aspirational.

What’s rude is replying to someone responding to the original OPs question and using ROFL emojis in a passive aggressive way in order to belittle their comment.

All I did was respond to that behavior in a non passive aggressive way.

Now look. You’ve realised you’ve condescended to the wrong one and are sore so are tagging the other poster in an attempt to team up against me.

Maybe next time don’t quote someone who’s not tagged you, and is just responding to the OP with their thoughts and laugh in their face.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

Don’t think I’ve seen this advert but yes fake swearing is tedious and unfunny. Also hate fcuk (French connection) and find the name Who Gives A Crap so embarrassing (as in they think they’re funny and they’re not) that I could never buy the stuff.

I reported an advert once because I found it sexist (only time in a long life of rolling my eyes at various adverts so I’m not a serial complainer). I was one of only a handful of people to complain but the ASA banned it so I felt vindicated.

What ad was that ArchMemory?

the walk in showers/baths, recliners, adverts when the people are young and slim looking and fully clothed
perhaps i shouldnt watch day time TV

I think it's brilliant and me and my DP laugh everytime we hear it.

I'll never forgive Peter Kay for introducing paddy McGuiness to celebdom.

He's about as funny as a severe case of the clap.

They weren’t odd and I’m sorry I touched a nerve because I don’t want to use OTB. I’m not the target demographic for that service, and this is ok. You clearly are their target market and are hurt others don’t see the service as aspirational.

Nobody cares whether you use OTB or whether you're their target market. I'm probably not their target market either. However, I don't feel the need to insult people who might be. That's pretty shitty behaviour.

What’s rude is replying to someone responding to the original OPs question and using ROFL emojis in a passive aggressive way in order to belittle their comment.

A laughing emoji is not passive aggressive. I'm sorry if you felt it was, that was not the intention.

All I did was respond to that behavior in a non passive aggressive way.

You called me a 'Wetherspoons woman' and accused me of still being drunk from the night before. That was rude and fucking weird.
All because I pointed out that OTB was an established company.

Now look. You’ve realised you’ve condescended to the wrong one and are sore so are tagging the other poster in an attempt to team up against me.

Maybe next time don’t quote someone who’s not tagged you, and is just responding to the OP with their thoughts and laugh in their face.

Are you okay? You're taking this very personally

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

Nice Taylor reference 👌

www.bbc.com/news/uk-22780221

Thank you. I don't think I have ever seen that. Sounds like that complaint was justified to be fair.

@DelilahRay exactly! We were their target market when DS was younger. Sun, AI and kids clubs! Exactly what we needed.

At the moment I travel a lot with work so we prioritise being able to bring DH and DH with me but we'd use OTB or similar companies in the future.

Oh, come on, it's funny as.... I actually commend them for their play on words.

You either need to, gently... get a life.

Or

You're being paid by On The Beach for some sneaking promotional tactics.

I think if they mean "fuck" they should say it. I hate the way they don't say "fuck" on the news if they're quoting someone. It's only a word. This Victorian governess attitude strikes me as very, very silly.

Different issue I know. 🤣

How does anyone find it funny? Fuck me it takes all sorts etc etc

Gosh what does it say? ( given I've chosen to go on the exact same cruise ship as the people in my example).

Its called a " demographic". Understanding people do have differences is not the same as being classist or discriminatory.
I'm probably a bit gammon. I don't look down on my northern counterparts . I suspect northern was only mentioned because of Paddy doing the voiceover. Could easily have been Essex.😉