Tiger Beer rapped for "disrespectful" ladyboy ad

Published: 26 November, 2008

An advert for Tiger Beer which claimed it was the best export from the Far East since ladyboys has been banned by an advertising watchdog.

An advert for Tiger Beer which claimed it was the best export from the Far East since ladyboys has been banned by an advertising watchdog.

The Advertising Standards Association (ASA) investigated the ad after a number of people complained that it linked exports with a person in a sexually provocative pose. People said they felt it was inappropriate given reports of human trafficking.

Others complainted that the ad was disrespectful towards Eastern culture as it suggested beer and sex were the region's best exports.

The ad, which slowed a small image of a bottle of Tiger beer in one corner, also showed a large image of a what appeared to be a transexual person wearing black stockings, knickers and a bra, with a sheer blouse that was not fastened. The strapline read "The Far Easts most desirable export since 1932".

The ASA concluded that that the ad was likely to cause serious or widespread offence. Tiger Beer's producers, Brewer Asia Pacific Breweries has since removed the ad from London's Metro and London Lite newspapers it was running in.

Meanwhile, InBev has escaped a ban from the ASA over a Stella Artois ad, despite it attracting 94 complaints.

The TV ad, which stated that Stella Artois had been brewed since 1366, attracted complaints that it misleadingly implied maize had been used as a brewing agent since that time.

The ASA concluded that there was no evidence to show maize was used in brewing beer in the 14th century in Leuven, but said that considering the fictional context of the ad, viewers were unlikely to misinterpret the onscreen text "the finest hops, the purest water, maize and barley" as a literal claim about the ingredients in 14th century beer.