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'Ship this bed' TV ad unlikely to cause serious offence, says watchdog 'Ship this bed' TV ad unlikely to cause serious offence, says watchdog
(34 minutes later)
A TV ad featuring the repeated phrase “ship this bed” has been cleared by the advertising watchdog – but it has been banned from being shown when children might be watching.A TV ad featuring the repeated phrase “ship this bed” has been cleared by the advertising watchdog – but it has been banned from being shown when children might be watching.
The advert for Bedword, based in Castleford, featured a string of salespeople and customers talking about beds and mattresses which were available with free shipping. The advert for Bedworld, based in Castleford, featured a string of salespeople and customers talking about beds and mattresses which were available with free shipping.
It opened with a salesman saying: “Ship this bed. Ship this bed? You can ship the bed right here at bedworld.net.” It then cut to two young children who asked: “Dad, can we ship this bed?” Another salesman said: “I’ve just shipped this mattress.” An older couple added: “We’ve just shipped this bed ... and it felt great.”It opened with a salesman saying: “Ship this bed. Ship this bed? You can ship the bed right here at bedworld.net.” It then cut to two young children who asked: “Dad, can we ship this bed?” Another salesman said: “I’ve just shipped this mattress.” An older couple added: “We’ve just shipped this bed ... and it felt great.”
It ended with another salesman saying: “I ship thousands of beds and mattresses all over the UK. Visit www.bedworld.net now and ship your bed for free.”It ended with another salesman saying: “I ship thousands of beds and mattresses all over the UK. Visit www.bedworld.net now and ship your bed for free.”
Ten people complained to the Advertising Standards Authority because they believed the word “ship” had been substituted in place of a swearword.Ten people complained to the Advertising Standards Authority because they believed the word “ship” had been substituted in place of a swearword.
Five of these claimed that the ad had been scheduled inappropriately at times when children might be watching television.Five of these claimed that the ad had been scheduled inappropriately at times when children might be watching television.
Bedworld said the voiceover and signs in the showroom reinforced the message of free shipping. It said it had checked all of the soundbites in the ad and was satisfied that actors had clearly pronounced the word “ship”.Bedworld said the voiceover and signs in the showroom reinforced the message of free shipping. It said it had checked all of the soundbites in the ad and was satisfied that actors had clearly pronounced the word “ship”.
Clearcast, which pre-approves TV ads on behalf of advertisers, said it had given the green light to the campaign after checking the sound recording.Clearcast, which pre-approves TV ads on behalf of advertisers, said it had given the green light to the campaign after checking the sound recording.
It acknowledged that “ship” and “shit” sounded alike and that there was an element of cheekiness to the ad, but it felt, nevertheless, its emphasis was clearly on “shipped”.It acknowledged that “ship” and “shit” sounded alike and that there was an element of cheekiness to the ad, but it felt, nevertheless, its emphasis was clearly on “shipped”.
The ASA ruled that the ad was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.The ASA ruled that the ad was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.
It added: “We acknowledged that what had been said sounded similar to the expletive ‘shit’; however the actors were, in fact, saying ‘ship/ped’. In the context of the ad, we considered that viewers who might have been offended by bad language were likely to recognise the pun being used and therefore were likely to understand what the actors were saying.”It added: “We acknowledged that what had been said sounded similar to the expletive ‘shit’; however the actors were, in fact, saying ‘ship/ped’. In the context of the ad, we considered that viewers who might have been offended by bad language were likely to recognise the pun being used and therefore were likely to understand what the actors were saying.”
However, the ASA said “while the expletive had not been used, the two words did sound similar; we considered that younger viewers were unlikely to register the distinction between the two when spoken in the ad. We considered that ‘shit’ was likely to be a word that parents may want their children to avoid, that children may already recognise as bad language and that was unsuitable for them.”However, the ASA said “while the expletive had not been used, the two words did sound similar; we considered that younger viewers were unlikely to register the distinction between the two when spoken in the ad. We considered that ‘shit’ was likely to be a word that parents may want their children to avoid, that children may already recognise as bad language and that was unsuitable for them.”
It therefore said the ad must not be broadcast again without a scheduling restriction.It therefore said the ad must not be broadcast again without a scheduling restriction.