Guerilla Marketing Tactic Backfires On Online Gambling Operator

By Brian Cullingworth, Last updated Feb 3, 2021

Publicity at any price is a risky business

The UK online gambling operator Fruity King, which has in the past exhibited a tendency to emulate Paddy Power-style controversial marketing and publicity behaviour, has been accused of being ‘misogynistic’ in a Twitter advertising push that saw the company posting an image of underwear-clad presenters from the popular Loose Women TV show with the caption: ‘You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig #LooseWomen18.’

The image and slogan immediately came under attack from a large number of Twitter fans outraged at the tenor and content of the promoted Twitter, which appeared on their timelines. Several tweeted that they intended reporting the ‘misogynistic’ nature of the advertisement to the Advertising Standards Authority.

The image used by Fruity King was an official picture of the presenters taken earlier this year to promote a show about self-confidence titled Loose Women Body Battles.

The panelists had all agreed to pose in their underwear and have their figures pasted on billboards around the UK to help promote body confidence.

When InfoPowa went to press Saturday morning there had been no comment from Fruity King, the Loose Woman show or the women depicted in the offending advertisement.

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