12 October 2011

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has launched a formal investigation into a controversial Phones 4U ad featuring a 'scary' girl.

The ASA has received 269 complaints to date about the horror-themed TV ad campaign with the tagline "Missing Our Deals Will Haunt You" that launched earlier this month.

The regulator will look into whether Phones 4U has overstepped the line in terms of taste and decency with the campaign and the investigation is expected to reach a conclusion as to whether to ban the ad within "a matter of weeks".

Members of the public have objected that the ads are unduly scary, are unsuitable for children to see, are scheduled too early and are also frightening for adults.

The spot has a Clearcast rating of post-7.30pm, which Phone 4U said, ahead of its launch, ensured the company would not break any CAP advertising codes on harming children.

Source: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk

Are companies pushing the advertising boundaries too far? Where do we draw the line at acceptable and unacceptable? There are a variety of opinions out there. For more information on advertising regulations visit http://www.asa.org.uk