Stella Artois ad escapes ban following Alcohol Concern complaint

The ad for the Stella Artois 4% brand, created by Mother, was shot in a 1960s French Riviera style and featured a man in swimming trunks rubbing sun cream into a woman's shoulders as she lay beside a hotel pool.

The woman's husband then appears by the pool and confronts the first man, who loses his balance and falls backwards over a balcony and into a clothes line on his way down.

He lands on the ground fully clothed in a suit and makes his way to a bar where he orders a Stella Artois 4%.

When the husband enters the bar looking angry the first man tips his glass and the camera pans down to show he is wearing a pair of women's red high heeled shoes.

The voice over tells viewers: "Triple filtered with a smooth outcome".

Alcohol Concern challenged whether the ad linked alcohol to sexual success or seduction and whether it linked alcohol to daring, tough or aggressive behaviour.

InBev defended the ad saying that it was meant to be an amusing tale of chance encounter and misplaced jealousy set on the French Riviera.

The Advertising Standards Authority rejected the complaints noting that the leading man was shown applying sun cream to the woman's shoulders and their contact went no further than that.

It also noted that the man had not been shown consuming alcohol prior to his fall and therefore considered that there was no suggestion that he had fallen as a result of drinking too much alcohol.

It concluded that no further action was necessary.