Ryanair’s ‘Jab & Go’ television advert has been banned after suggesting customers would be able to travel with no restrictions once they are vaccinated.
The commercial has been described as irresponsible for showing a bottle and a syringe and people in their 20s enjoying foreign trips with no social distancing or facemask in sight.
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The ad told viewers: “Covid vaccines are coming so book your Easter and summer holidays today with Ryanair… you could jab and go.”
The British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it received 2,370 complaints over the commercial – the third highest ever received.
“The ads misleadingly provided consumers with a reassurance that being vaccinated against Covid-19 was likely to allow them to go on holiday without restrictions,” the regulator said.
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“It’s important that all travel companies take particular care, at a time of significant uncertainty about when lockdown restrictions will end, not to mislead or over exaggerate when it will be possible for people to go on holiday.”
Some viewers were apparently left offended by the ad.
However, the ASA concluded “whilst we acknowledged that many viewers had found the tone of the ads distasteful we considered they were unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.”
In response to the ruling, a Ryanair spokesperson said: “The ASA’s ruling flies in the face of the UK’s successful vaccine rollout, however even though this ruling is baseless, Ryanair will comply with it and the Jab & Go adverts will not run again.”
The most-complained about UK ad of all time, attracting 5,525 complaints, was a national newspaper ad by betting company Paddy Power that promised losing punters their money back if South African athlete Oscar Pistorius was acquitted of allegedly killing his girlfriend.
