The United Kingdom’s advertising regulatory body, the Advertising Standards Authority, recently addressed a BetMGM advertisement featuring comedian Chris Rock. The commercial, which debuted on television on October 4th, 2023, presents Rock in a series of stylish vignettes – imagine him rotating a globe with his finger – accompanied by the slogan: “We’re BetMGM, and we understand entertainment.”
Certain individuals voiced concerns, expressing worry that Rock’s inclusion might be excessively enticing for audiences below the age of 18, potentially violating advertising regulations.
BetMGM did not passively accept this criticism. They responded with a rather comprehensive justification for their choice to make Rock the representative of their company. Their rationale? Rock’s professional life has predominantly centered around stand-up comedy and film parts intended for mature viewers. They contended that this implies he wouldn’t hold significant influence over anyone under 18.
Indeed, he has contributed voice work for family-oriented productions like “Madagascar,” but BetMGM was prompt to emphasize that any connection with those types of roles is quite dated and no longer pertinent.
Furthermore, they even mentioned Rock’s social media activity, stressing that the overwhelming majority of his audience consists of adults, with a minuscule number of under-18s present.
To conclude, they drew attention to components within the advertisement itself – aspects such as sophisticated imagery and allusions to Las Vegas – that they believe would not hold much allure for minors.
The UKs advertising watchdog examined the promotional materials and rejected the objections lodged against them. The authority deemed the content suitable for the public at large. Although recognizing Mr. Rock’s history in youth-oriented media, the ASA concluded that this association was insufficient to generate specific interest among minors, particularly given his latest projects.
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