Evocative billboard across from popular children’s location doesn’t breach advertising standards, watchdog says

A billboard placed across from popular children’s location Motat which read “whisky doesn’t care what’s between your legs” does not breach advertisement standards, a watchdog says.

In the advertisement, actress Anna Paquin holds a whiskey drink in a whiskey glass.

To the right of her is the text: “A man’s drink? Whisky doesn’t care what’s between your
legs”. There was also a photo of a bottle of Glenlivet and, in smaller font, the text: “Obey the Rules. Miss the Fun”.

Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa ward councillor Cathy Casey made the complaint on the grounds that it showed a lack of social responsibility, in objectifying and demeaning women and
simplifying gender assignation and sending the message to drinkers to disobey the rules.

“The ad shows a lack of social responsibility in objectifying and demeaning women and
simplifying gender assignation” Casey said in her complaint.

It was also believed it would attract children’s attention because it was spliced between a TVNZ promo for Fans and Faves and Disney’s new children’s movie “Lightyear”.

“How do we protect children when there is a rolling display with offensive content spliced in? The billboard is sited across from Motat and Western Springs Lakeside Park with lots of families walking past on foot,” Casey’s complaint read.

The Advertising Standards Authority said the advertisement “did not reach the threshold to be offensive or to encourage an illegal or unsafe practice” and “the advertisement was targeted to an adult audience”.

Pernod Ricard Winemakers, the advertiser, said that the advertisement was not meant to be offensive and simply wanted to challenge stereotypes.

“The campaign objective was to broaden the representation of whisky drinkers to make it
more inclusive, and to challenge an outdated stereotype that whisky is a man’s drink.”

However, the advertisement was initially removed due to an “abundance of caution” after the complaint was first made.

“Upon receiving the complaint separately from the complainant via social media, we removed the Western Springs Site placement out of an abundance of caution,” a spokesperson from Pernod Ricard Winemakers said.

“We confirmed the Western Springs Site was not within a 300m sight line of the main entrance to a primary, intermediate or secondary school.”

“We have not reinstated the advertisement at the Western Springs Site and the advertising
campaign has now finished.”