A TV advert which showed Welsh pop singer Duffy cycling through a supermarket has been cleared by an advertising watchdog after health and safety complaints. Eighteen viewers complained that the singer, from Nefyn, Gwynedd, was not wearing reflective clothing and her bicycle had no lights in the Diet Coke commercial.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) also said four viewers expressed concerns that children could copy her behaviour. Coca-Cola argued that the ad was supposed to reflect "Duffy's fantasy". The commercial shows the singer coming off offstage before sipping from a can of the cola and cycling through dark streets and into the store, before returning to her concert in time to perform an encore. Coca-Cola argued the commercial depicted Duffy's escape from the pressures of stardom and was "far removed from the real world."
The company also said they had gone through a vigorous production process to ensure they met the Highway Code criteria for riding a bicycle on public roads. With the regulations recommending cyclists wear reflective clothing in the dark, Coca-Cola pointed out Duffy wore a black and white sparkly top that stood out, while her bicycle had lights on the front and rear in each shot.
After investigating, the ASA did not uphold the complaints, noting the "fantasy context" and deciding that older children would understand cycling round a supermarket was not a realistic situation.
