Discount UK airline Ryanair has had two television ads banned from airing on television after they promoted booking holidays in anticipation of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Known as the airline's "Jab and Go" campaign, the two ads promoted cheap holidays that consumers could book now in anticipation of having already received a vaccine.
The UK's Ad Standards Authority (ASA) received more than 2300 complaints over the ads, which were accused of trivialising a global pandemic and suggesting that customers could travel unaffected once they received the vaccine.
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"Complainants, who felt the ads and particularly the claim 'Jab & Go' implied that most of the UK population would be successfully vaccinated against Covid-19 by spring/summer 2021 and would be able to holiday unaffected by travel or other restrictions related to the pandemic, challenged whether the ads were misleading," the ASA said.
The first ad featured an image of a medical syringe and a vial labelled "VACCINE" and large on-screen text which stated "VACCINES ARE COMING".
A voice-over stated, "Covid vaccines are coming. So book your Easter and summer holidays today with Ryanair. One million seats on sale from £19.99 to sunshine destinations in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece and many more. So you could jab and go!"
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The ASA upheld two complaints that the ads were misleading and irresponsible.
It did not uphold complaints that felt the ads trivialised the need to prioritise the vaccine to those who were most medically vulnerable. It did not find the ads to be insensitive.
In their response, Ryanair said the ads did not make any representations about what restrictions may or may not be in place in 2021.
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"Ryanair considered that the average UK consumer was familiar with information about the vaccines, their rollout schedule, travel restrictions and the inherent uncertainty in the travel industry," the airline said to the ASA.
"In that context they believed the ads' claims that "vaccines are coming" and that "you could jab and go" were not misleading to consumers, who would be able to make an informed decision about whether they wished to book flights."
Both ads must not be broadcast again in their current form.
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