Advertising Standards Bureau - Review of Operations 2013 | Page 37

they did not show violent acts and violence was
only implied.
An advertisement featuring different actors
leaning into a pram to receive a slap on the cheek
from a baby (Yellow Brick Road Superannuation
– 0186/13) was considered in breach of violence
standards. The Board noted that there is genuine
community concern regarding violence and
the portrayal of violence in advertising. The use
of slapping in an advertisement to promote a
superannuation product had no relevance and is
not justifiable in the context of the product being
advertised and it therefore breached Section 2.3
of the Code.

Movies and games
Advertisements promoting movies and
games using a headless man (Roadshow Film
Distributors – 0169/13), a vampire (FOXTEL
Management - 0332/13) and a man with no
jawline (Universal Pictures – 0329/13) were
dismissed by the Board in 2013. In these cases,
the violence shown was not overly graphic, did
not promote unjustified violence and was directly
relevant to the product sold.
An advertisement featuring two girls holding
hands with bloodstains on their clothing and
blood on their faces and arms (Planet Video 0358/13) was considered by the Board in 2013.
The Board considered that the image, when
presented as a print advertisement in a television
guide or in proximity to children’s cartoons in a
paper is likely to cause a level of alarm to children.
The advertisement was found to be in breach of
Section 2.3 of the Code.

Weaponry
Advertisements using images of weapons are
considered under Section 2.3 of the Code. In
2013 the Board dismissed complaints where
advertisements featured an axe and sword
(Sony Computer Entertainment – 0239/13),
a sharpened credit card (Global Shop Direct
– 0153/13), a gun ( John Simpson – 0389/13)
and a rifle (SSAA - 0117/13). In these cases the
weapon was directly relevant to the product being
advertised, the advertisements did not display
characters which were menacing or threatening

Review of Operations 2013

and the Board determined they did not depict
material contrary to community standards
of violence.

Graphic depictions
Imagery implying suicidal acts has attracted
several complaints in 2013. The Board dismissed
a TV advertisement featuring a noose around
a girl’s neck (Sussex Media – 0096/13) as it
was highly stylised and due to time restrictions
was unlikely to be viewed by children. An
advertisement by All Interactive Entertainment
(0125/13) featured characters deliberately causing
an explosion which appears to lead t