Captain Morgan Ad Banned For Implying Alcohol Makes You Popular

An advertisement for Captain Morgan rum has been banned in the U.K. after the Advertising Standards Authority deemed its portrayal of alcohol as "irresponsible."

The commercial in question shows a party on an old-fashioned pirate ship while a man with a Captain Morgan logo superimposed over his face is seen dancing, tipping someone off a sofa, swinging a rope, and posing at the bow of the ship. Messages like "Captain the dance floor," "Captain the night," "Put your Captain face on," and "Live like the Captain" flash across the screen.

It might not sound too threatening, but according to the non-profit organization Alcohol Concern, the advertisement implies that alcohol makes you more popular and confident, and that alcohol is necessary to make a party fun, according to Marketing Week.

Captain Morgan parent company Diageo defended itself by saying that alcohol was not actually present throughout the entire ad, and that the commercial ended with a "Drink Responsibly" warning. Diageo has been told to edit the advertisement before it can appear on TV again in the U.K.