McGregor’s Budweiser ad campaign falls foul of advertising industry code

Sector fears ad will re-ignite debate on alcohol advertising

Conor McGregor in the Budweiser ad

A Budweiser advertising campaign featuring mixed martial artist Conor McGregor has been found to have breached the advertising code.

Last week, the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland’s (ASAI) complaints committee upheld a complaint on the advert based on the argument that McGregor is a hero of the young.

The ASAI’s code specifically excludes the use of “heroes or heroines of the young” in marketing communications for alcohol in order to minimise the appeal ...