"Death and Sexuality" Advert complaint

Graham Marsden, 03 Aug 2006 18:56:04

Hi there,

From The Register today:

* * * * *

[...]

Today's other technology complaint was against Eidos Interactive for a
magazine advert for "Hitman: Blood Money". The picture showed a woman in
her underwear with a bullet hole in her forehead and the headline:
"Beautifully Executed". People complained to the ASA about the
juxtaposition of death and sexuality.

Eidos said the ad was not about violent sex but was intended as a parody
of a perfume ad - presumably that horrible Opium poster. The Edge
magazine, where the ad appeared, said its readers were adult and
hardcore gamers and none had complained.

The ASA said Beautifully Executed was a play on words and that it was
unlikely to cause offense to adult gamers. The complaint was rejected.

* * * * *

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/02/dells_rapped_asa/

So the ASA says that the image juxtaposing "death and sexuality" was
"unlikely to cause offense to adult gamers".

I wonder if the Home Office would still give them three years?

Cheers,
Graham.