The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned an ‘irresponsible’ OOH poster for vape brand Alfabar, as its colourful design appealed to under-18 year olds.
Campaign group Adfree Cities made the complaint about the advert which was seen in Bristol on 15 December 2023 and stated ‘Out of this world’ in light blue on a pink background.
Beneath that were two Alfabar vapes, styled to look like alien heads and with green luminescent eyes. An arrow pointing to the eyes stated ‘LED light effect eyes’.
The campaign group complained against the ad on two counts – that it was irresponsible because it appealed under-18s and also that it had been inappropriately placed, because it appeared in a public space where children were likely to see it (near a school).
The ASA upheld the complaint, commenting in particular that the product resembled a child’s toy, in both shape and size. It ruled that the ad must not appear again.
The move comes after the regulator previously banned an Elfbar vape ad which appeared on the sides of buses.
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The owner of Alfabar, Hing Fo International, declined to respond to the ASA.
For its part, media space owner JCDecaux said that it had ensured that the ad will not appear within 100 metres of the nearest school in line with their policy for restriction on ads for e-cigarettes.
Adfree Cities campaigner James Ward said the regulator was too permissive of vapes in general: “Advertising regulation is light years away from where it needs to be to protect children from harmful promotions.”
“How could an ad for a nicotine-containing e-cigarette with an alien design, which blatantly appeals to children, have been approved by the regulator’s own copy advice team. If ads for nicotine-containing vapes are so harmful as to be banned on TV, radio, online and in print, then why are they being displayed on billboards in public space?”
