Paddy Power Pistorius ad banned by Irish watchdog
Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland received 65 complaints over campaign for Oscar Pistorius trial betting " ad already banned in UK
Paddy Power’s ad campaign featuring Paralympian Oscar Pistorius has fallen foul of another regulator, with the Irish watchdog ruling that it should not be used again.
The ad, which was launched to coincide with last month’s Academy Awards, was intended to promote Paddy Power’s market on the result of the South African’s ongoing court case.
Pistorius, who had both his legs amputated at the age of 11, is currently on trial accused of the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
And the ad depicted Pistorius as an Oscar statuette along with the message ‘It’s Oscar Time “ money back if he walks’.
The Irish Advertising Standards Authority received 65 complaints, many of which claimed Paddy Power’s ad was offensive to disabled people and to the victim’s family.
Last month the company was ordered to remove all UK advertisements relating to betting on the murder trial after the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received around 5,000 complaints.
The ASA fast-tracked an investigation into the advertising campaign in order to conclude whether the ads trivialised murder and brought advertising into disrepute.