Advertising Standards Bureau Review of Operations 2015

Domestic violence Entertainment Weaponry The issue of domestic violence is a very serious one and in the Board’s view advertising should not encourage or condone actions which can be perceived as unacceptable behaviours. The Board upheld two advertisements for depicting domestic violence in 2015. The Board’s view was: Violence shown in the context of promoting a movie or game that is inherently violent, is often viewed as acceptable by the Board, so long as it is not likely to cause undue alarm or distress to members of the community. The Board’s view was: Advertisements using images of weapons are also considered under Section 2.3 of the Code. In 2015 the Board upheld two advertisements in this area. The Board’s view was: • ny malicious threat of violence towards A a partner, even in a fantasy situation, is unacceptable. -- • television advertisement for a dating A service for married people which depicted a married couple as zombies, with the woman threatening to hit her husband with a baseball bat (Ashley Madison Avid Life – 0237/15). e threat of violence without the act itself, Th where the tone is menacing and threatening, is enough to make the advertisement breach the Code. -- • television advertisement featuring still A images of a woman and a man with shots of their bathroom and one scene showing the woman holding a clenched fist as the man is cowering with his hands up (Bathroom Warehouse – 0170/15). RADIO EDUCATING BUSINESS GOVERNMENT DETERMINATION TRANSPORT BONDING SELF-REGULATE INDEPENDENT BILLBOARDS PARTNERING TRANSPORT AUTHORITY POSTERS STANDARDS ADVERTISERS BILLBOARDS TELEVISION COOPERATING ACCOUNTABILITY MERGING COMMUNICATING SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTABILITY COMMUNITY EDUCATING SELF-REGULATE LIAISING COMPLAINT DETERMINATION CONSOLIDATING hile acknowledging that an unlikely W interpretation may be that an advertisement is suggestive of domestic violence, in cases where most reasonable members of the community would not reach this conclusion will not breach the Code. -- • radio advertisement which featured a A man surprising his partner with a storage room he has rented and filled with photographs of himself (Kennards Self Storage – 0274/15). ight-hearted banter between couples in safe L and loving relationships, where the tone isn’t threatening or aggressive, will not constitute domestic violence. -- 34 • radio advertisement which hears a A wife threaten ‘I’ll put your lights out’, after her husband remotely switches household lights on and off repeatedly with his phone (Tyco Australia Pty Ltd – 0436/15). epiction of characters from video games D when advertising the game is a depiction that portrayed violence that is justifiable in the context of the product being sold. -- n outdoor advertisement featuring a A masked man with white eyes (Warner Home Entertainment – 0175/15). -- Twitter advertisement which featured A in-game footage of characters being shot (Sony Computer Entertainment Aust Pty Ltd – 0471/15). -- • television advertisement featuring A a man shooting a machine gun (Bethesda – 0476/15). hen promoting horror movies, events and W shows, it is reasonable for the advertiser to show violent images or scenes related to the product being promoted. -- ive advertisements about horror F movies (Universal Pictures – 0192/15 and 0385/15, Twentieth Century Fox – 0211/15 and 0220/15 and Roadshow Film Distributors Pty Ltd – 0314/15). -- print advertisement for a zombie TV A show which featured a blood-spattered woman holding a brain on top of an ice‑cream cone (Stan – 0357/15). -- n outdoor advertisement promoting A a local theatre production of Sweeney Todd which features a drawing of a person screaming and what appears to be blood dripping down their face (Livid Productions – 0461/15). -- -- television advertisement for A an upcoming fight event which included depictions of people fighting professionally (Adelaide Entertainment Centre – 0120/15). poster which included a violent band A mascot to promote a concert (Dainty Group – 0398/15). • e use of a character which is of principal Th appeal, and immediately recognisable, to children, holding a weapon is not appropriate in any circumstances. -- n advertisement on a camper van A featured an image of Cookie Monster (from Sesame Street) holding a gun to his own mouth (Wicked Campers 0413/15). -- n outdoor advertisement featured an A image of the popular children’s character, Winnie the Pooh, pointing a rifle at Tigger (Signco Brisbane – 0115/15). Cruelty to animals Concern for the welfare of animals continue

Advertising Standards Bureau Review of Operations 2015 | Page 36