Viral water bottle brand Air Up has been rapped by the ASA over a foul-mouthed advert that “trivialised recreational drug use”.
The ad – a TikTok video that appeared on 13 February 2025 – featured a man pretending to pedal whilst lying on top of a road marking of a bicycle. A voiceover stated, “What the f***? Are you high?” and on-screen text stated, “What the f#%I? Are you Hy?”.
A complainant challenged whether the ad – which the ASA understood to have been targeted at an adult audience – was offensive. The watchdog investigated, finding two breaches of the CAP code.
Air Up insisted the phrase “are you high” was not a reference to the use of drugs but “a colloquial reference to someone acting strangely or ‘out of their mind’”.
It added the use of the word “f***” was “not offensive in the context of the ad and was used as a colloquial expression of surprise and frustration”.
The ASA, however, concluded consumers would understand the phrase “are you high”, in combination with the imagery used, “to imply that the man was behaving out of character due to being under the influence of recreational drugs”.
It acknowledged that the use of “high” was a play on the word “hydrated”, but said the reference “trivialised recreational drug use by humourising the serious psychological effects it could have on an individual”.
It admitted the word “f***” had numerous connotations, but pointed to research by the ASA and other bodies showing that phrases like “f***” “were likely to offend to such an extent that they should not be used at all in marketing communications”.
It concluded the ad was irresponsible and likely to cause serious and widespread offence.
The ad – which Air Up said it was no longer running – must not appear again in its current form.
Read more: Is Air Up’s ‘scented’ flavoured water bottle genius or gimmick?
“Our goal is to spark curiosity and get people to think differently about the way they hydrate,” said Air Up CEO Chris Hauth. “While we acknowledge that the campaign in question may not have resonated with everyone, it was never our intention to cause offence.”
It is the second time in less than a year that Air Up has fallen foul of the ASA. Last July, the watchdog ruled an ad which featured a man urinating into a lake condoned antisocial behaviour.
Air Up made its UK supermarket bow earlier this year, and is stocked in retailers including Sainsbury’s and Boots.
The German brand claims to be able to ape the taste of flavoured water through scent alone.
It is popular among younger consumers and has more than half a million followers on TikTok.
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