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‘Beauty of our brand’ – Conor McGregor defends banned ‘sexually suggestive’ Forged Stout ad featuring female models
The Dublin fighter insisted he was proud of his team’s marketing efforts
CONOR McGregor has defended a banned ad for his stout range that was KO’d for focusing on “models’ cleavages and bottoms”.
The “sexually suggestive” advertisement for the UFC fighter’s Forged Irish Stout line of booze was forced to tap out by advertising bosses this week.
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Forged Irish Stout Distribution removed a video shared to Instagram, which showed a group of female models wearing “cropped tops and high-leg hotpants”, after a complaint was lodged with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
The footage features the models drinking pints and posing around both a vehicle and a person dressed as a life-sized model of a Forged Stout can.
A complainant said the ad contained sexualised content which made a link between alcohol and sexual relations or performance.
But speaking to The Irish Sun, the Dublin fighter insisted he was proud of his team’s marketing efforts and said they captured the “beauty” of the brand.
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McGregor told us: “I am proud of the enthusiastic and growing market for Forged Irish Stout.
“Our advertising and social media show the beauty of our brand.”
Sources close to the former MMA champ told how they strongly disagreed with the ASA’s judgement and described it as “highly subjective”.
An insider explained: “This wasn’t an ad for Forged Irish Stout, it was a promo video made at an event in London, at Jack’s Bar.
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“It was a highlight reel of the night. The video was removed from social media channels after the decision because they didn’t want to get into a major row.
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“They feel the decision is highly subjective. Who are the ASA to determine how professional models should act?
“Will ads featuring underwear models now be banned? It’s a strange decision and they don’t appear to have a lot of authority but it was taken down all the same.
“If anything it has raised awareness of Forged and of the footage, which people would have to go looking for.”
Outlining the complaint, the ASA wrote: “The advertisement took the form of an Instagram reel and was seen on the advertisers’ own profile.
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“It depicted a group of female models wearing two-piece outfits comprising a cropped top and high-leg hotpants while posing around a vehicle and drinking pints of Forged Stout.
“At various points, the models also posed around a person dressed as a life-sized model of a Forged Stout can before eventually following it off screen."
Publishing the decision upholding the complaint, advertising chiefs concluded: “The Committee noted that there was a significant emphasis through the use of camera angles, on the female models’ cleavages and bottoms, and in some cases solely on these areas resulting in the focus being on a body part rather than the whole person.
“The Committee did not consider that there was any creative reason for this other than to objectify the female models.
“The Committee also noted that in other parts of the advertisement, the manner in which the female models were posed or shown interacting with the person dressed as the life-sized version of the product was sexually suggestive.”
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