The Dom Billiato advert first aired in September 2022 but complaints were only received in May this year.
The Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) has ordered the withdrawal of Casper Niyovest's Don Billiato advert for glorifying alcohol consumption.
“As the advertisement in its entirety violates clauses 1.1.3 and 1.4.1 of Appendix A, the Respondent is required to withdraw the advertisement in its present form within the guidelines set out in clause 15.3 of the Procedural Guide, i.e. 'as soon as time permits'.”
The ruling came after the Drinks Federation of South Africa (DFSA) filed a complaint with the ARB about the advertising. At the heart of the DFSA's complaint is the tequila brand's social media and television advertising.
The TV commercial aired on April 11 from 9pm onwards and April 14 from 4pm onwards on DStv channel 203. The social media advertisements were featured on the brand's official Instagram page.
The ad first aired in September 2022, but complaints were only received in May this year.
Advertisement by Don Billiato
The ad shows a group of people, all dressed in white, boarding a private jet.
Casper Niyovest plays the role of “host” and welcomes all passengers, saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Air Viriat. We hope you enjoy your stay in luxury.”
People on board are filmed drinking tequila, laughing and cheering.
Playing the role of the pilot is media personality Somizi Mhlongo, who also said: “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Air Billiat.”
The final scene shows musician and dancer Toth (real name Poloso Masombuka) dancing topless on the wing of the plane.
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problem With ads
The DFSA's complaints included the use of celebrities and a failure to appeal to the first instance, but the defendants maintained that all the celebrities featured in the adverts were friends of Casper and “no one was paid to fly”.
Another complaint was that the ad fails to promote responsible drinking: “The ad does not include a statement aimed at minors narrated in the same language as the main message,” the complaint said.
There were also issues with Don Billiato's social media platforms, with the DFSA saying it believes the brand's social media platforms – Twitter/X and Instagram – are in breach of section 1.8.2 of the Alcohol Industry Communications Code, which can be found on the ARB's website.
“No permitted messaging regarding responsible drinking will be displayed on social media platforms or in shared or downloadable assets (images or videos), and 'No One Under 18' tokens will be used in small screen formats.”
Respondents took responsibility for the lack of these messages.
“'Not for sale to those under 18' has been added to the platform and will appear on future posts. This page was managed by Casper.”
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Other issues
The DFSA also took issue with the advert suggesting that alcohol brands could lead to personal success through the tagline “A Taste of Wealth”.
However, a respondent said: “'A Taste of Wealth' is a joke, emphasised by the fact that the pilot is Somizi and Toth is dancing on the wing. Toth is a retired footballer and the outfit he wears is iconic and he is always seen in it. The other shot is short, less than a second long.”
The ARB agreed with the respondents.
“In the opinion of the authorities, rather than suggesting that drinking alcohol leads to business success, drinking this brand of tequila gives you access to a level of wealth and glamour;
I believe that drinking this brand will bring you social success.”
The ARB did not consider the fact that Toth was topless to be illegal.
“However, authorities do not consider the clothing or attire in question to be sexually lewd or inappropriate. In the context of the lifestyle, music and dance depicted, the attire, while perhaps not in good taste, would not be considered inappropriate.”
The DFSA also objected to the use of the SAB Sharp logo in the advert as Don Billiato does not contribute to SAB Sharp's programmes, which are produced independently.
“This was done by the agency and we fixed it. We got the ARA signed,” the respondent said. The advertiser was Blue Sky Brands Ltd.
Citizen We've reached out to Casper Niyovest but have not yet heard back. This article will be updated if we receive a response.
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