Killjoy TfL bosses ban comedian’s hot dog poster because it ‘promotes obesity’… but he manages to get last laugh
TFL bosses have banned a comedian’s tour poster because it features a hot dog.
They claim Ed Gamble’s advert for his upcoming tour ‘Hot Diggity Dog’ “promotes obesity” - and approved an alternative poster with a cucumber.
The food podcast star’s team spent nearly £10,000 on the original design and print of the poster.
It shows the funny man with ketchup and mustard on his face and t-shirt as a half eaten hot dog lays on a plate.
But now they have been told it does not comply with the organisation's advertising policy on promoting “the consumption of high fat, salt and sugar foods”.
The replacement poster shows a cucumber on the plate - but still has the star covered in condiments.
MORE ON TFL
Ed Gamble told MailOnline: “I'm delighted that as well as promoting my show, TfL have given me the opportunity to promote my favourite fast food snack - a whole cucumber.”
It comes after another poster promoting a forthcoming West End play was banned in July — because it featured a cake.
Producers for the Broadway hit Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding ploughed £20,000 into the marketing campaign and printed 200 posters featuring stars Ronnie Burden and Alabama Boatman.
But Transport for London bosses banned it from Tube stations because it featured an iced, two-tier Victoria sponge.
The immersive comedy failed in its appeal and was forced to shell out an extra £5,000 on a new ad campaign — minus the cake.
At the time theatre producer Paul Gregg said: “I never dreamt it would be a problem.
“We've now reached a point where a poster can be banned because it features a cake. It's ridiculous and just makes everything hard work.”
Meanwhile in August a poster for theatre production Operation Mincemeat was also banned because it “looked like graffiti”.
In response, a spokesperson for Operation Mincemeat has said: “It is of course complete nonsense and belittling to the public's intelligence, who can obviously tell graffiti from printing!”
Commenting on the decision to ban Ed Gamble's poster, a TfL spokesperson said: “We welcome all advertising on our network that complies with our published guidance.
“Following a review of the advert, we advised that elements would need to be removed or obscured to ensure it complied with our policy.
“A revised advert is now running on the network and we are always happy to work with people to ensure adverts follow our policy.”
It comes after Sadiq Khan was accused of hypocrisy after transport workers spent £5,000 of taxpayers’ cash on junk food last year.
In January the Sun on Sunday revealed transport workers spent nearly £3,000 on Greggs alone.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Tory Mayoral candidate Susan Hall said: "Sadiq Khan's hypocrisy knows no bounds,.
“While hectoring Londoners about obesity and banning fast food ads on the Tube, his own staff at TfL are forking out thousands of taxpayers' money on the likes of McDonald's, Domino's Pizza, Nandos and Five Guys."
