A RYANAIR advert has been banned in the UK for its "irresponsible" claims about Covid-19 vaccines.
The commercial, titled 'Jab & Go', encourages customers to book Easter and summer holidays abroad with the airline once they've received their coronavirus vaccine.
The British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received over 2,300 official complaints about the advert - which aired in December and January - making it the third most complained about commercial of all time.
In the footage, groups of young people can been seen enjoying sunny holiday destinations, while the ad promotes a seat sale on flights to Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece, and tells customers to simply "jab and go" because "vaccines are coming".
Those complaining about the ad felt as if the tagline implied that international travel will be unaffected by coronavirus regulations by summer time, while others felt the ad trivialised current restrictions and the impact the pandemic has had on wider society.
Some also said it was irresponsible of the airline to encourage people to book holidays when no one really knows how serious the Covid situation will be in a few months' time.
The ASA said: "We told Ryanair to ensure their ads did not mislead viewers about the impact that Covid-19 vaccines would have on their ability to travel abroad during Easter and summer 2021, and to ensure their ads did not encourage irresponsible behaviour."
However, Ryanair defended the film, saying that "important contextual factors" needed to be taken into account.
They said the ad made no specific claims about who, when or how vaccines would be administered, or how long it would take for people to become fully protected.
The company added that they were responded to the British government's "optimistic" briefings about the virus, which indicate that summer holidays may be able to take place as normal this year.
They also argued that their advert intends to be "uplifting", encouraging viewers to think about spending time with their friends and family again.
