ITC Rejects Nappy Complaints But Blackballs Snowballs
“Never work with children or animals”, or so the saying goes, and the former category proved troublesome for advertisers this month when child-based adverts caused a volley of complaints to the Independent Television Commission (ITC).
The advert prompting the highest level of complaint, from a total of 125 viewers, was for Pampers Total Care. The nappies, the advert claimed, were designed “to handle pee but also soft poo.” Complaints were that the use of these words was offensive and in some cases graphics used to illustrate the nappies’ absorbency had put viewers off their food.
The ITC was not swayed by the viewers complaints, considering that the words used were “the mildest descriptions of bodily functions, in common parlance amongst mothers.” Furthermore, it decided that the graphics were “innocuous” and therefore that there was no need to restrict the commercial’s transmission or uphold the complaints.
The other advert causing a high level of complaint- 94 viewers- was for Hewlett Packard. This showed a group of children using mobile phone technology so that they knew when a tram was about to arrive, rather than waiting in the cold. The clincher was that they were waiting for the tram so they could pelt it with snowballs.
Complainants included the Transport and General Workers Union and the Confederation of Passenger Transport, who added their support to the view that the advert could encourage children and teenagers to throw things at vehicles as a form of harmless fun. This was considered irresponsible in light of the fact that children and teenagers throwing things at public transport was a constant problem for transport authorities, causing damage and the threat of serious injury. Other complainants included bus and train drivers who had experienced the problem first hand and people who lived in areas where this was a problem.
The BACC said it had advised the advertiser not to show any dangerous behaviour. They pointed out that the children in the advert were not straying into the road, that the actions were light hearted and expected by the people on the tram. The advert was nevertheless withdrawn after allegations that attacks on vehicles in problem areas had risen after the advert was shown.
The ITC acknowledged that the risk of emulation was small, but welcomed the decision to withdraw the advert, saying it should not be shown again.
ITC: 020 7306 7743 www.itc.org.uk
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