Paddy Power Oscar Pistorius banned ad is the most complained about ad EVER!!

This Paddy Power Oscar Pistorius advert has been banned by the ASA and is the most complained about advert EVER in the history of the UK Advertising & Standards Authority. 

Paddy Power known for their less than conventional advertising methods have really done it this time!

I play NetEnt Casino games at Paddy Power from time to time and they have pretty good betting odds so as a Paddy Power regular I feel a sort of way about this issue and feel I should have my say on it.

If you don’t know what this is about, heres a  little background.

On Valentines day of February 14th 2013, South African Paralympic super star Oscar Pistrius shot and killed his girlfriend model Reeva Steenkamp in what he described as an accidental shooting as he had mistaken her for a burglar.

He alleges that he thought that Steenkamp was still in bed and what he was shooting through his bathroom door was an intruder.

Paddy Power produced the above tasteless ad in the Sun Newspaper saying “Money back if he walks”.

They were offering odds on the outcome of the murder trial of 7/4 for a guilty verdict and 2/5 for not guilty.

This is problematic on two fronts;

1. A woman is dead and if you have been following the trial, the gun shots that hit her shattered her pelvis, ripped her arm and the last shot that inadvertently killed her went through her forehead and created a huge hole in the back of her head as it exited.

She was described as having been in a defensive position with her hands protecting her head when she was shot.

She must’ve been in a great deal of pain not to mention very frightened.

And now Paddy Power has trivialized her death and wants people to bet on the outcome of a murder trail.

Surely there must be some morality in this world and Paddy Power should be a little bit more responsible.

A life is lost and to this day the family and friends of the deceased still miss and mourn her but meanwhile Paddy Power sees it as an opportunity to make a quick buck and gain some traction from the controversy.

Not Cool, not cool at all and very tacky.

2. The second problematic aspect of this advert is that the accused, Oscar Pistorius is a double amputee and walks with prosthetic legs so it is equally disgusting for Paddy Power to use the “Money back if he walks” pun in their advertisement about a disabled person.

This advert has been banned in the UK and Ireland and has been the most complained about advert in the histroy of UK Advertising Standards Authority.

The UK advertising standards Authority (ASA) has said the advert has brought advertising standards in the UK into disrepute and ordered that any advertising of this sort be taken down.

Paddy Power has complied.

This time Paddy Power went a bit too far in my opinion.