The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that a Facebook advert for Ladbrokes featuring The Goonies had not breached the advertising code and that no further action is necessary.

The complainant, who considered that the ad’s reference to the film “The Goonies” was likely to be of particular appeal to those under 18 years of age, challenged whether the ad breached the Code.

The ASA said: We understand that the ad was seen in an age-gated environment and outside of that environment Ladbrokes had taken steps to target the ad only at those aged 18 years of age and over.

We noted that while the ad featured “The Goonies” logo and typeface, it did not feature any characters or other imagery from the film. We considered that the nautical map and golden doubloons featured in the ad were not colourful, cartoonish, or otherwise presented in a way that was likely to resonate with children, and were more likely to have general or adult appeal.