Four radio ads promoting Kerry Foods’ Mattesons sausages in the UK must no longer air when children are likely to be listening, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has said.
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The ads for Mattesons smoked sausages, which were broadcast on Forth One, Clyde Radio and Real Radio, received 21 complaints from listeners who believed the ads were offensive, because they contained “inappropriate sexual innuendo”.
Lines in the advert included: “You’ve all been telling me where you like to stick it. This was one of my favourites” and “Give me a call and tell me where you like to stick it.”
Kerry Foods, a unit of Ireland’s Kerry Group, said the ad was intended to be “a tongue-in-cheek and light hearted way to portray peoples desire for their product” and that it was confident the ads would not offend.
Radio Forth received some calls regarding the ads and they had advised that the callers contact the ASA. Radio Clyde received one complaint and took the decision not to broadcast the ad during the school run.
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By GlobalDataThe ASA acknowledged the light-hearted tone of the ads and considered that the opening line “Mmm, Mattesons smoked pork sausage … ” made clear that they were referring to food.
However, the regulator acknowledged that some viewers might find the humour in the ads in poor taste and that the innuendo was “sufficiently strong to present a problem if it was heard by older children”.
It concluded that the ads could cause harm to children and that the scheduling of the ads must no longer coincide with times when a significant number of children might be listening to the programming.
