At number 8 on the Advertising Standards Authorities list of top 10 most complained about campaigns of 2015 is the advertising campaign for the Department of health. the advert received around 200 complaints which the advertising campaign ran. The advert was shown on television and on the Video on demand service and was a part of an anti smoking campaign from Public health England. The advert showed a man rolling a cigarette, however it was not a normal cigarette, the insides of the cigarette was filled with blood and flesh which many viewers found too graphic for television viewing. The Department of health's advertising campaign also including a poster advert which also showed a cigarette which contained flesh.
The Advertising Standards Authority received complaints that the adverts were graphic and gruesome and were therefore offensive and irresponsible. Although the ASA acknowledged that some people might find the advertisements unsettling but noted that they also contained an important health message. therefore it was concluded that the advertising campaign was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.
WARNING graphic content.
What do you think about the Department of Health advertising campaign using the image shown below. Do you feel that these images are too graphic and gruesome to be shown or do you feel that that is how it should be in order to get the message across of just how harmful smoking is?
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What do you think of the ad discussed above? Have you been surprised to learn which ads have gathered the most complaints to the ASA?
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