Guinness United Distillers & Vintners, which owns the Smirnoff brand, was criticised by the advertising watchdog, the Advertising Standards Authority, which said the ad was likely to cause serious or widespread offence.
In the the ad, created by J Walter Thompson, a man slides down a banister, wearing nothing more than an ecstatic grin, with the strapline stating, "...If Smirnoff made pain killers".
The dispute hinged around the alleged visibility of the man's penis. While Guinness argued that the man in the ad was wearing flesh-coloured underwear in the poster, complainants, 44 of whom come from Birmingham, believed his penis was visible.
The ASA upheld the complaint, ruling that although it understood that the man was, in fact, wearing underwear, it considered that most members of the public would believe the man's penis was visible.
The watchdog also challenged the poster's likelihood to encourage the public to consume excessive amounts of alcohol. It ruled that because the poster depicted drunken activity, it could encourage immoderate drinking. It told the advertiser not to use the approach again.
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