We all enjoy viewing those ad’s which have been banned by the ASA and similar authorities worldwide. They essentially kept Chris Tarrent in work prior to Who Wants to be a Millionaire keeping him busy. I recently came across this Nike ad, which I thought was too good not to share.
This also led me to this YouTube video, possibly in need of re-reviewing given the UK’s increasing rate of teen pregnancies, it certainly makes its point.
Controversial ad’s aren’t just for TV land though, some poster ad’s are often a case of the “here today, gone tomorrow” Radio 2 culture. Here’s an example from the EA game Burnout Dominator, which was displayed around Londons underground (for a “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” period, unsurprisingly!).
Promoting a product can also be banned in non-physical forms, as Acclaim found out when trying to increase awareness of a previous incarnation of the Burnout franchise. It offered to pay for any speeding fines acquired on the day of the games release…it didn’t go down well, and the UK government got involved claiming it encouraged reckless driving, resulting in Acclaim pulling the promotion.
These ideas may be shocking, but I bet they have all been a topic for the watercooler at one point or another!
