Gun-toting cycle clothing brand gets Advertising Agency dress down
A cycle clothing brand has been given a dressing down by the Advertising Standards Agency in response to a promotion within which a model was shown holding a gun in a “menacing” way.
Deeming the Mamnick advertisement to be in breach of the CAP Code on social responsibility (Edition 12, rule 1.3) the agency was dismayed to be rebuffed by the brand, which responded to the complaint by stating it had not broken their own internal rules. The ASA therefore believed that “Mamnick did not provide a substantive response” to enquiries.
“We understood the gun shown in the ad was not equipment which would be used in a sport or was one that would typically be used for legal hunting. We therefore considered that, in the context of an ad for cycle wear, the presence of the gun was incongruous and jarring. Although we accepted that the gun was not being pointed at viewers, we noted the model had his finger on the trigger. We also noted the sunglasses worn by the model hid his eyes, but he appeared to be looking straight at the camera while holding the gun. We considered that gave a menacing and aggressive tone to the ad,” wrote the advertising regulator in its complaint review.
The conclusion now means that the cycle clothing label must now not reproduce the advert in its current form, with the agency warning the brand to ensure ads were not glamourising weaponry in future.
The brand appeared to be unbothered by the ruling and keen to stick to its self-proclaimed ‘edgy’ feel. On January 10th it tweeted a confidential ASA mail outlining the next steps under the ruling.
The Advertising Standards Agency doesn’t often get too involved with cycling industry labels, but most recently addressed the subject of electric scooter usage in adverts promoting privately sold units. Furo Systems was last year found to be in breach of ‘misleading’ imagery in which clearly depicted road use on a London street, something that is currently not legal outside of public share schemes.
