David Beckham’s whisky advert gets green light

LONDON — A whisky advertisement starring David Beckham has been cleared by British advertising watchdogs after complaints it could encourage youngsters in the United Kingdom to drink alcohol. The commercial for Haig Club single grain whisky shows Beckham and a group of “glamourous friends” descend on the Scottish Highlands.

Directed by Guy Ritchie, it shows Beckham riding a motorbike to a highland lodge for a weekend party. Other guests arrive by sea plane and sports car before he arrives at the hotel and serves the whisky from its blue square bottle.

Complaints made to Britain’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) about the advert argued that Beckham had a “strong appeal” to children under the age of 18 and it was irresponsible to use the former Manchester United and England star to promote alcohol. They also said the ad implied drinking alcohol was a “key component of social success” and that “refusal was a sign of weakness”.

Bosses at whisky-makers Diageo said Haig Club was launched in partnership with Beckham and Simon Fuller, the Pop Idol creator. They said Beckham was chosen as he was a “global icon” and had a strong appeal to men aged between 25 and 40 — not children. Beckham “did not have a strong appeal to children”, they added, as he had “not played in the Premier League for more than 10 years” since his move to Real Madrid in 2003 and subsequent move to LA Galaxy and PSG before retiring in 2013.

Diageo added that Beckham had only lived in the United Kingdom for two out of the past 11 years and that his appeal was “strongest” among adults “who would have followed his professional and personal journey”. It said that since retiring, Beckham had pursued global business interests with high-end luxury brands that were “adult focused”.

The ASA agreed and cleared the advert to be aired again. It said: “The ASA considered that, as a recently-retired footballer, David Beckham would be likely to hold general appeal for some children.

“Nonetheless, we noted that he had not played for a United Kingdom club in the past decade and was, therefore, unlikely to have particular resonance for children on the basis of his sporting career alone, or have strong appeal on that basis.”

It also noted that while Beckham received Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Sports Legend award in July, the ASA said it “understood that the award’s recipient was chosen by Nickelodeon, rather than being voted on by children” and that the advert did not imply that drinking alcohol was a “key component of social success” and that “refusal was a sign of weakness”. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH