A casino has been reprimanded by the advertising watchdog over a poster used on public transport that featured Santa Claus playing a slot machine, writes Bill Breathnach.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld two complaints arguing that the use of Santa in the image was likely to impact children’s views on gambling.

Other complaints were made against a private school that claimed it had “Ireland’s best teachers” and an Irish stout that “made a link between alcohol and improved sexual performance”.

Yesterday, the ASA released its case bulletin featuring 21 reports on complaints investigated – with 17 of these upheld and one upheld in part.

Two complaints were received in relation to an advertisement that was seen on Dublin Bus for Jester’s Casinos, featuring an animated Santa Claus sitting at a slot machine in a casino.

It contained large writing in the form of a Christmas wreath that read: “Even Santa Stops Here – Tallaght, Dún Laoghaire, Dublin City.” The complainants considered the depiction of Santa to be particularly appealing to children and an influence in terms of good and bad behaviour.

They deemed that youngsters could be “led to believe that it was permissible for them to gamble as Santa did it.”

These complaints were upheld, and the ASA ruled that the advertisement “must not reappear in its current form and must be removed from all of the advertisers’ social media platforms.”

Solicitors for Jester’s Casino responded that their client had immediately withdrawn the advertisements without challenge or question when made aware of the complaints.

Jester’s Casino was approached for comment; however, it did not respond.

An Instagram video from Conor McGregor‘s Forged Irish Stout also received a complaint.

The reel featured a group of female models wearing two-piece outfits comprising cropped tops and high-leg hotpants while posing around a vehicle and drinking pints of the stout.

At various points, the models also posed around a person dressed as a life-sized model of a Forged Stout can, before eventually following it off screen. The complainant believed that advertisement “contained sexualised content which made a link between alcohol and improved sexual relations/performance.”

The ASA found that the video placed “significant emphasis, through the use of camera angles, on the female models’ cleavages and bottoms.”

It was also found that there was no “creative reason for this other than to objectify the female models.”

While the authority “did not consider that the advertisement implied consumption of the product would make the drinker more attractive,” it did conclude that it was “sexually suggestive” and an “irresponsible manner in which to depict women.”

The company said it had removed the advertisement from its Instagram account upon receipt of the complaint.

Another complaint upheld related to an advertisement from Leinster Senior College, inviting prospective students to “learn from Ireland’s best teachers.”

The complainant found this to be “misleading on the basis that the claim of having Ireland’s best teachers was unsubstantiated, misleading and could not be quantified.”

The school responded to say it had investigated the nature of the complaint and confirmed that it had instructed its marketing company to remove the post from its Facebook page.

An additional complaint that was upheld related to a “misleading” advertisement for a property, listing the dwelling as being a 28-minute walk from Dublin city centre. The complainant objected that the property was in fact a 50-minute walk from the city centre

In response, estate agent MoveHome.ie said that it had never intended to “mislead parties on any aspect of a property’s description.”

However, it argued the complainant has used the Spire as the centre of Dublin city in their example, while advertisers considered the North and South Circular Roads as being the boundaries of the city.

It said that once over the North Circular Road, you were into Dublin 1, which was the postal address for north Dublin city and could be walked to in 28 minutes from the property.

ASA chief Orla Twomey said: “Our goal is to ensure advertisements are legal, decent, honest and truthful – fostering trust in advertising for all.”

Photo: (l-r) Miriam Hughes, chair of the Advertising StandardsAuthority and Orla Twomey, CEO of the Advertising Standards Authority. (Pic: Supplied)