Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
An advert filmed on the wedding day of reality TV stars Vicky Pattison and Ercan Ramadan was banned for presenting smoking as “part of a glamourous and aspirational lifestyle”.
Ramadan posted a video on Instagram on October 3 2024 promoting Endrick Clothing, which he is the director of, showing him and seven groomsmen with cigars with the caption “La Familia (black heart emoji) Groom & Groomsman suited by @endrickclothing”.
The same video was shared by Geordie Shore star Pattison, 37, who has 5.5 million followers, on October 11.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld two complaints about the video, one saying it glamorised smoking and another about it not being clearly marked as an “ad”.
It said: “While we acknowledged the ad was for menswear products, we considered that the ad’s principal focus was on smoking and that it was depicted as an enjoyable group activity.
“We considered that the use of slow motion, the formal setting and the jazz-style music added to the stylised and aspirational tone.
“We considered that the video presented smoking in an appealing manner and suggested that it was part of a glamourous and aspirational lifestyle.
“For that reason, we concluded that the ads were irresponsible.”
The ASA “considered the commercial intent of the ad was unclear, and that the post needed to have included a prominent label upfront, identifying it as an ad, which it did not have”.
It said the ads “must not appear again in the form complained of”, and Ramadan was told to ensure that future ads were “socially responsible”.
The couple officially married at Marylebone Town Hall in August and married again in Puglia, Italy in September.
