POSTS by Laura Whitmore on Instagram and TikTok for an alcohol brand have been banned after the presenter implied booze can increase confidence.
The ads saw the ex Love Island host drinking peppermint tea, then water, then beer and then 'Muff & tonic' while she danced and became increasingly lively.
Text on the adverts for The Muff Liquor Company stated "#MakemineaMuff” and “If drinks were dance moves #makemineamuff #muffboss #irishowned".
Music included the lyrics: “I’ll be f*****d up if you can’t be right here.”
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) investigated the posts for the Irish gin and vodka company after fans complained that they had not been clearly marked as adverts.
Laura, who is a shareholder in the booze brand, told the ASA that she had used the hashtag “#muffboss” to declare her shareholder status.
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She said she believed “#ad” would not have been a suitable hashtag because she was not paid for the posts.
The presenter posted the ads on her social media in July, whilst her final season of Love Island aired.
A complainant who knew that Laura was an investor in The Muff Liquor Company challenged the posts on the basis of whether they were identifiable as marketing communications, because they featured alcoholic drinks.
In response, The Muff Liquor Company said it had ordered Laura to take down the ads within 24 hours of being made aware of the complaint.
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It also confirmed Laura was a shareholder but said that she had not been paid a fee to make and share the ads.
TikTok said Laura had not used its branded content disclosure tool, even though the post appeared to fall into this category.
The ASA said a large proportion of individuals who were under 18 with TikTok accounts were likely to interact with content related to Love Island on the platform.
"Even if those individuals did not follow Ms Whitmore, we considered it was likely that the algorithm would determine Ms Whitmore's posts to be of interest to them, meaning they would appear in their 'For You' page," the ASA said.
Laura quit Love Island – the fifth most-watched programme by those aged four to 15 years old – at the end of last year.
Referring to Whitmore's dancing while drinking alcohol, the ASA added: "Whilst we acknowledged that the ads were presented in a light-hearted tone, nonetheless we considered that consumers would interpret the ads to mean that drinking alcohol could precipitate a change in an individual's behaviour and could enhance an individual's confidence."
The ASA ruled that the ads must not appear again.
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