Advertising watchdog rap for Deeside based Iceland after Fat B*astard wine advert sent to primary school

Deeside-based Iceland Foods have been banned from promoting a wine brand called Fat Bastard via door drop mail campaigns after the Advertising Standards Authority branded an advert irresponsible.

The frozen food retailer sent out two circulars to homes last October and to a primary school in November, they advertised a money-off voucher on the front.

The back of the circulars advertised an introductory offer on the “FAT bastard” brand of wine. the text stated “OUTRAGEOUS NAME OUTRAGEOUSLY GOOD WINE” next to the brand name.

Four people complained to the advertising watchdog saying the language used in the ad was likely to cause serious or widespread offence and the ad was not appropriately targeted, because it might be seen by young children.

Iceland acknowledged the name of the wine might be controversial but said that as it was a branded product they had no control over the brand name.

The name of the wine was based on the story that, when first tasting the wine, the winemaker exclaimed that it was a “fat bastard” due to its full-bodied nature, the supplier said there was no malicious or offensive intention when choosing the name of the wine.

The advert went out to 175,000 homes and Iceland appreciated a ‘few people might find it distasteful’ however only four had complained to the watchdog.

Iceland also said they had given strict instructions to the company which distributes their circulars they should only be delivered to residential addresses and should not have been delivered to the school.

The ASA ruled that the ad was unlikely to cause widespread offence but said Iceland had been irresponsible with its distribution of the circular and children may easily have seen them.

The ASA concluded “The ad must not appear again in its current form. We told Iceland Foods Ltd to ensure that language which was unsuitable for children to see was not displayed on the outside cover of future circulars.”