I read this article in Media Buyer/Planner today and had a good laugh. The Brits talk about the "uptight and puritanical" Americans, but this is absolutely ridiculous!

UK Watchdogs: 'Hunks' Must Be Hefty or Bald

The Committee of Advertising Practice has advised UK drinks companies to use "unattractive - overweight, middle-aged, balding," men in their advertising campaigns, the Times Online reports. New rules forbid any link between women's drinking and sex, and watchdogs have issued a list of undesirable male characteristics advertisers must abide by.

Popular sparkling drink Lambrini is the first to suffer from the new rules....Lambrini's makers claim that the ruling is offensive to a large portion of the male population, asking if balding, aging stars such as Jack Nicholson, Bruce Willis, and Sean Connery are unattractive to women. "Is the watchdog group qualified to decide for the nation who is sexy and who is not?" executives from Lambrini asked...read more here.

Seth Godin reminds us that good marketers are story tellers. The UK law doesn't seem to create any kind of barrier for ads that feature "unattractive" or "undesirable" men that (while drinking Budweiser) become suddenly attractive and desirable to sexy, attractive women. We've never seen that theme before, right?

So, Who pays these "watchdogs" and what are they sniffing?

Image courtesy of the Colchester Harrier's Athletic Club Web Site in the UK.