Poundland’s ‘naughty’ elf ad campaign banned by regulator

Advertising Standards Authority received 85 complaints

Advertising watchdog has cracked down on Poundland’s “irresponsible” Christmas ad campaign featuring a naughty elf playing strip poker and performing risque act on a Barbie doll.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned the ad campaign as it was likely to cause “widespread offence”. The regulator had received 85 complaints that the ads were offensive and should not have been put on social media where children could see them.

The campaign, dubbed “Elf behaving bad”, also ran on the retailer’s Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Poundland defended the campaign by arguing that it was based on “humour and double entendres” that were not intended to be understood by children. They also said that social media policies prevent those under 13 from creating accounts.

The budget retailer also said that a “large number” of people found the campaign funny, engaging and “in line with what it meant to be British”.

But the regulator decided against the retailer in the end.