Buzz Bingo has been spared regulatory enforcement by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over a Facebook ad.
Two complaints were submitted to the ASA regarding a post on the Buzz Bingo Grimsby’s Facebook page earlier in April, in which an action figure was used to promote the company’s bingo offering.
The complainants were worried that the nature of the ad combined with the use of the action figure would entice minors to gamble.
While it is easily understood where the concerns are coming from, the ad did not pose any threats nor did it have the potential to indirectly target children, the ASA stated.
Buzz Group’s response stated that the figurine was computer-generated, and it bore the likeness of the General Manager of Buzz Bingo Grimsby – someone unlikely to be recognised by any other children but their own.
An example of the trend/Credit: Shutterstock
The ad itself was a play at a wider-spread social media trend, where individuals use the AI tool ChatGPT to generate images of themselves that makes them an action figurine in a box, sometimes with various relevant items included in the packaging.
Buzz’s ad included a bingo dabber, bingo cards, and a numbered ball bundled together with the manager’s action figure.
ASA agreed with the company’s statement that in no way did the generated image include elements that might appeal to under-18s, such as bright colours or using a cartoon style with exaggerated features for the figurine.
What’s more, the image was intended to be seen only by people who were following the Buzz Bingo Grimsby Facebook page, further strengthening the firm’s case that there was no ill intent in their marketing and that it’s been used responsibly.
“We considered that the ‘action figure’ depicted was unlikely to be viewed by children as an appealing toy to play with,” the regulator concluded.
“The items which accompanied the figure in the box had a similar realistic and muted aesthetic and were associated with the game of bingo, which we considered was not an activity that was likely to appeal to most under-18s.
“We therefore concluded that the ad was not likely to be of strong appeal to those under 18 years of age.”
