The UK's National Lottery produced an advertisement that unfairly denigrated bingo clubs by implying that bingo is a dying industry, a watchdog has ruled.
The advertisement, which was made for television, showed a woman on an electric mobility scooter, tutting unhappily as she drove past a closed bingo hall. The image was then 'scratched out' to be replaced by the same woman driving her scooter along a sunny beachfront, with a voice-over imploring viewers to “Play the new Flamin' Hot Bingo scratchcard from the National Lottery”.
The Bingo Association raised a complaint about the ad, arguing that it was misleading and unfairly denigrated the industry by implying that bingo clubs were generally closing down, and that bingo was a 'dying industry'.
The Advertising Standards Authority agreed with their complaint, since the bingo hall appeared drab, and the padlocks on the gate outside gave the impression that the club had closed down permanently. The ASA have ruled that the ad is misleading and denigrated the industry, and that it should not be broadcast again.
The Camelot Group, who run the National Lottery, argue that bingo clubs are not open 24 hours a day, while National Lottery Scratch Cards are sold at many 24 hour outlets. They also said that they intended the ad to highlight that a scratch card winner could upgrade a particular aspect of their life.
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