An advert by a bar featuring Barney the Dinosaur that used the words “T-wrecked” has been banned for encouraging excessive drinking by the advertising watchdog.
The paid-for Meta post by MOJO Manchester in May included the purple children’s TV character alongside the text: “ONE TEQUILA, TWO TEQUILA, THREE TEQUILA, FLOOR – Barney”.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it acknowledged the advert was intended to be amusing but ruled it “encouraged excessive drinking” and was likely to appeal to under-18s.
MOJO said it was “resolute in our belief that we made no attempt to encourage underage consumption of alcohol nor its consumption in excess”.
In a response to the ASA, Voodoo Doll Ltd trading as MOJO Manchester noted its social media audience was restricted by Meta to over 18s and the image of Barney was from the 1980s and 1990s and would therefore resonate with its target audience of over 18s.
The company also said the post was intended to be an amusing cautionary tale, hence the use of the character Barney and the phrase “T-wrecked”.
They had attempted to engage with adult guests in an amusing way that prompted comment and discussion, not consumption, the firm added.
But the ASA said adverts should not feature real or fictitious characters who are likely to appeal particularly to people under 18 in a way that might encourage the young to drink.
It found the image of the dinosaur was brightly coloured with a playful, friendly appearance, which it considered would particularly appeal to children, especially combined with the counting rhythm of the text.
The ASA added the advert appeared on a social media site where users self-declared their age without robust verification, and no additional steps were taken to prevent younger users from seeing it.
The watchdog continued: “We acknowledged that the ad was intended to be amusing in tone.
“However, we considered it nonetheless encouraged excessive drinking and therefore breached the code.”
The ASA ruled the advert must not appear again in the form complained of.
A Mojo spokesman said: “The overwhelming response to the post was one of good-natured amusement. Exactly what we had sought.
“We believe the ASA have erred in their judgement on this matter and risk drifting into the realms of censorship.”
The popular Barney & Friends ran from 1992 until 2010 and was played by an actor in a costume.
The new series Barney’s World premiered in 2024 with a new animated character.
