Peachy.co.uk stated the ad was intended to portray the uncertainties of every-day life, where those without savings for unfortunate events might bene t from the advertised product. They stated the reference to Brexit was included to make the ad topical and to re ect some people’s lives, where it might be di cult to be fully prepared for all or unexpected scenarios. They believed that the mention of Brexit was made in a light hearted manner to avoid causing any actual concerns. They did not believe it was suggested that customers should take out a loan because of uncertainties related to Brexit. They stated the ad speci cally mentioned that they did not think Brexit would actually impact the amount of food available and they encouraged customers to only make credit decisions after careful consideration. Peachy.co.uk said they were sorry to learn the campaign had not been interpreted as they had intended. To avoid any such misunderstandings in the future, they would not use the ad again and would ensure they considered public sensitivities more thoroughly. Assessment Upheld The ASA considered that taking out a high interest, short-term loan was a decision that should only be made following careful consideration and that marketers should take care to advertise such products responsibly. We considered that many readers would see Brexit as a high-pro le, topical and often contentious subject, about which there was a great deal of disagreement, including regarding uncertainty over the availability of essential products and general economic stability post-Brexit. We acknowledged that the ad used a light hearted tone and did not use de nitive language regarding the future, and concluded that “credit decisions should be made after careful consideration”. However, we considered the overall approach used was likely to put emotional pressure on readers to the effect that it was sensible to go further than they would otherwise have been able to afford by taking out a loan and that, if they did not, they risked being unable to feed themselves or their families. For those reasons, we considered that the ad’s references to possible food shortages and the stockpiling of food were likely to play on some people’s concerns regarding Brexit, including nancially vulnerable consumers who were already struggling or worrying about their nancial situation. WeGet therefore that the ad wasadvice irresponsible. updates,concluded handy hints, and insightful direct from the experts who write the  advertising rules. Sign up to our newsletters. /