The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld a complaint that a poster for an energy drink called Rasta Blasta using marijuana imagery was socially irresponsible.
Complainant J Watson received a poster from First Light Frozen Distributors, Gisborne, advertising energy drink "Rasta Blasta the Ganja Masta" from the Mad Drinks Factory.
The poster showed a cartoon image of the head of a Rastafarian superimposed on marijuana leaves, with a headline stating "The Plantations Finest" (sic).
The complainant said the poster was aimed at children and young people and promoted smoking of marijuana.
"In a country town already afflicted with high levels of illegal growing and consumption of marijuana, I find it in extremely bad taste to be promoting a drink which sends the message to young people and in general that marijuana is ok."
Advertiser the Mad Drinks Factory said in a letter that the cartoon drawings of leaves were not specific to marijuana, and resembled many other plants, such as false aralia, kenaf and Japanese maple. The cartoon character was not smoking anything, and there was no evidence the poster was targeting young people.
The imagery on the poster was no different to that advertising another drink, Hemp Energy Drink, for which there were no complaints on the authority's website.
"We believe that J Watson is in fact making a distasteful and socially unacceptable stereotype with racist undertones in linking Jamaican people or people with dark skin with smoking marijuana," the company said.
The authority noted that the poster had adhesive backing and could be displayed on any surface. As it could be visible to anyone at a shop selling the energy drink, which was available to any age group, that meant that children were part of the target audience.
The poster's words and imagery made a direct and obvious reference to marijuana, failing the higher standard of responsibility required for adverts aimed at children.
"While in the Complaint's Board's view the advertisement did not promote the use of marijuana, it did glorify it in the context of an advertisement for an energy drink," the authority found.
