Pussy (energy drink)

In the winter of 2012, Pussy Drinks Ltd started a UK advertising campaign with two styles of posters used on billboards and trailers. The first advert features the word "Pussy" in large lower-case letters above the phrase "The drink's pure, it's your mind that's the problem." with a picture of a can to the right. The second advert featured the word "Outrageous." in large letters above the phrase "An energy drink that actually tastes good." with a picture of a can to the left.

The ASA received 156 complaints about the posters of which six issues were considered. The ASA accepted that people would see the word pussy as a slang term for vagina. The ASA suggested that Pussy Drinks Ltd were aware of the double meaning and played upon it in the first poster, referring to secondary meaning which was not "pure" and was a "problem". As such the poster was deemed sexually explicit and offensive. The ASA also ruled that older children would be aware of the double meaning, the poster was unsuitable to be placed where children might see it. Similar complaints about the second poster were disallowed, as were complaints that the first poster was offensive to religious people. Two of the issues were upheld, and the ASA banned the first poster.^[10]

In response, Pussy Drinks Ltd questioned why people would assume a vulgar meaning of the word "pussy" and asked if it was offensive that the ancient Egyptians worshipped cats.^[11] Richard Branson compared the ASA's banning of one Pussy advert to the banning of the Sex Pistols in the 1970s, saying that the ban would increase brand exposure and sales, a process known as the Streisand effect.^[12]

Since 2009, Pussy has been endorsed by two-time World Superbike champion Troy Corser, who sometimes promotes the drink on his headgear.^[13]

• Fucking Hell, a German beer that caused similar controversy