Adverts for Tesco Mobile have been banned for replacing expletives with food names. The national newspaper ads, Twitter post and outdoor posters used the words “shiitake” and “pistachio” as allusions to swear words in ways that “were likely to cause serious and widespread offence”, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled.
The paid-for Twitter post, seen in February, stated “What a load of shiit” in large text, with an image of a mushroom next to it. The mushroom then rolled away to reveal the text “shiitake”, replacing “shiit”.
A line underneath read: “Did you know the big mobile networks are raising your bills?” Full-page newspaper ads featured the line “They’re taking the pistachio” in large text, followed by an image of a nut.
