The messaging was somewhat subliminal, but not subliminal enough to escape the hawk-eyed sights of the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing.
Home Nightclub in Sydney's Darling Harbour has been pinged by the liquor authority for a promotional video, which contained images of a man appearing to snort cocaine.
The 15-second film, posted on the nightclub's Facebook page, promoted an event called "Blow" to be held this Saturday night to celebrate the club's seventh birthday. "Blow" is slang for cocaine.
It also contained several sexually suggestive images, including a cartoon clip of a man ejaculating on a female anime character.
The image of the man apparently snorting cocaine flashed three times in the 15-second video.
The club was ordered to remove the film or face a $5500 fine and a strike under the "three strikes" disciplinary scheme.
The Liquor Act 2007 allows regulators to strike down advertisements that it considers to be "not in the public interest".
OLGR guidelines state that this includes promotions that "use images or messages which could be seen to be encouraging or condoning breaking the law or other anti-social behaviour", or that "allude to drug taking behaviour".
Home Nightclub is on the OLGR's list of "most violent venues", with 13 recorded assaults on its premises in 2014.
OLGR director of compliance Anthony Keon said it was particularly concerning that such a venue would release an advertisement that encouraged illegal activity.
"It is extremely inappropriate and irresponsible for any licensee to rely upon the promotion of illicit drug use and explicit sexual imagery to promote its business," he said.
"The indifference displayed by this venue's management about this promotion suggests they are completely out of touch with community expectations, which is of extreme concern given the nightclub is on the violent venues list and is a late-trading high-risk premises located in the Sydney CBD precinct."
The video has been removed from Home Nightclub's Facebook page.
The club declined to comment when contacted by Fairfax Media.
It comes only weeks after the OLGR cracked down on the sale of illicit drugs at the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville, which remains closed following a forced 72-hour shut down.
Regulators had witnessed a woman snort a spoon of white powder before handing over cash, and another male patron licking spilt alcohol off the floor.
