Paddy Power ad banned for negative portrayal of English football fans

Paddy Power has been reprimanded by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for an advertisement that suggested Japanese football fans are tidier and more considerate than their English counterparts. The ad, which appeared on buses during the World Cup, was among 18 complaints upheld by the ASA.

The controversial Paddy Power ad stated: “Let’s go Japan. Polite. Organised. Clean up after themselves. The exact opposite of England.” It also featured a fallen England flag. A complainant described the ad as racist and derogatory, particularly concerning as it was displayed at Dublin Airport, a common transit point for English visitors.

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Let’s go Japan. Polite. Organised. Clean up after themselves. The exact opposite of England.

Paddy Power defended the ad as part of a World Cup campaign using humor and satire to comment on different nations and football cultures. They pointed to other ads in the campaign, such as one about the USA and Australia, as examples of their satirical approach. The company noted that only one complaint was lodged against the England-Japan ad.

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relied on a negative portrayal of a nationality

However, the ASA concluded that while the ad was part of a broader campaign intended to be a lighthearted take on sporting rivalry, it contrasted English supporters unfavorably with another nationality. The regulator stated that the ad went beyond lighthearted humor, conveying that English people were impolite, unorganized, and did not clean up after themselves, thereby causing ridicule.

In addition to the Paddy Power ad, the ASA also ruled on complaints against other companies. An ad from oil company Maxol, featuring a car on a country road with the voiceover "Make a better choice when you fill up at Maxol" and the website address "maxolcarbonneutral.ie," was found to be misleading. The ASA noted the prominence of the website address was likely to mislead consumers regarding environmental claims.

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conveyed the message that English people were not polite, were unorganised and did not clean up after themselves. It said the humour “relied on a negative portrayal of a nationality” and “was likely to cause ridicule”.

Furthermore, a complaint against Chemist Warehouse was partially upheld regarding its claim to be "Ireland’s cheapest chemist." While the retailer argued a question mark invited price comparisons, the ASA found consumers could reasonably interpret the prominent text as an absolute claim.

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Make a better choice when you fill up at Maxol.