The spot, created by the Leith Agency, received a complaint from a viewer concerned that, because there was nudity in the ad, it was unsuitable for broadcasting during a programme when children could be watching. The viewer had seen the ad during ITV's Saturday morning programme 'CD:UK'.
The ad had originally been given the OK by the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre with an ex-children restriction, meaning it could not be shown in and around children's programmes.
ITV argued that 'CD:UK' did not carry the 'CITV' branding and was considered to fall under the category of daytime entertainment, rather than children's programming.
However, the Advertising Standards Authority upheld the complaint about the ad not being suitable to be shown during children's programming, after Ofcom said that 'CD:UK' was considered to be children's programme.
In its ruling, the ASA said: "We agreed that the ex-kids restriction imposed by the BACC was appropriate and consequently, scheduling the advertisement in and around 'CD:UK' represented a breach of the rules on scheduling of advertising."
Irn-Bru has a history of controversial advertising. In 1999, a poster for the soft drink became the most complained about ad of the year, because it showed a cow saying: "When I'm a burger I want to be washed down with Irn-Bru."
Last year, one of its television ads was banned for being offensive to transsexuals. It was set in the 1950s and showed a mother playing the piano with her children, singing a song that ended with the line "... even though I used to be a man".
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