A graphic poster advertising a horror film starring socialite Paris Hilton attracted dozens of complaints.
However the objections to the “distasteful” poster plugging House Of Wax were rejected by watchdogs.
A total of 30 complaints from concerned members of the public nationwide were received by the Advertising Standards Authority about the poster which showed the head and shoulder of a dead woman covered in melting wax and the headline “Prey. Slay. Display.”
Some of the complaints claimed that the ad was “offensive and distressing,” particularly because it could be seen by children.
Others objected that the ad, particularly the headline, was “offensive and irresponsible” because it glorified murder in a society where women were increasingly vulnerable to attack, and was particularly insensitive in the light of recent murders.
However the complaints were rejected by the ASA although it described the poster as “distasteful.”
The film’s distributors Warner Brothers said the film received a 15-certificate and their contractor and poster committee cleared the poster for display. They said they no longer used the poster.
An ASA spokesman said: “We considered that consumers were likely to realise the ad reflected the content of a horror film and that the image was clearly stylised and would not be seen to glorify murder.
“We concluded that, although it was distasteful, the ad was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence, undue fear or distress and was not irresponsible or harmful to children.”
This entry was posted on
September 8th, 2005
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