A Paddy Power ad featuring a man responding inappropriately to his partner asking him if he thought she would end up looking like her mother has been banned for portraying gambling as taking priority over family life. The TV and on-demand ad, seen in March, showed a young man using his phone to gamble on Paddy Power’s ‘Wonder Wheel’ game while in a living room with his girlfriend’s family.
He briefly looked away from his screen to thank his partner’s mother for bringing him a drink, before his partner asked him: “Do you think I will end up looking like my mum?” to which he replied: “I hope so,” before appearing to realise what he had said was inappropriate. A voice-over said: “So no matter how badly you stuff it up, you’ll always get another chance with Paddy Power games.” He then continued to look at the game on his phone.
The ad drew four complaints, including two that they showed someone so occupied by gambling that they made an inappropriate remark in conversation, and were irresponsible for portraying gambling as taking priority in life. PPB Counterparty Services, trading as Paddy Power, said the ad implied a commitment to family life by portraying the scene of a traditional family setting where a young man had dutifully gone to his girlfriend’s parents’ house for Sunday lunch.
