ASA Bans Barnardo’s Child Poverty Campaign
The Advertising Standards Authority has banned a controversial advertising campaign for Barnardo’s after almost five hundred people complained that it was offensive, shocking and unduly distressing.
The campaign featured computer generated photographs of a new born baby with a cockroach crawling out of his mouth, another featured a baby with a syringe in its mouth and a further showed a baby with a bottle of mentholated spirit in its mouth.
The campaign was designed to communicate the devastating effects of poverty on children and Barnardo’s argued that people shocked by the ads would be more disturbed by discovering the facts about childhood poverty.
The complainants objected that the advertisements were offensive, shocking and unduly distressing, especially if seen by children. Some also objected that they were irresponsible and could encourage emulation by children.
However, the advertisers argued that the hard-hitting campaign would help to encourage donations for their work with children living in poverty. They said research had shown 86% of people did not know that one in three children in the UK lived in such poor conditions.
They further pointed out that the UK had the highest rate of child poverty in Europe and that the ads merely reflected the reality of the situation and its long-term effects, as well as the nature of their work, which was often distressing.
On consideration the authority acknowledged the serious message of the ads, but nevertheless felt that the advertisers had used shocking images to gain attention. The ASA concluded the photographs were likely to cause serious or widespread offence and told the advertisers not to repeat the advertisements.
However, the watchdog dismissed complaints against the ads for being irresponsible and ruled that they were clearly aimed at adults, rather than children. It also concluded that the because they featured objects to which children were unlikely to have ready access, the advertisements were unlikely to encourage emulation by youngsters.
The ASA recently upheld complaints against a magazine ad for fast food giant McDonalds over claims their French fries are made entirely of potato (see McDonalds Fried Over Chips Claim).
ASA: 020 7580 5555 www.asa.org.uk
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