Britain loves its banning. Right next to teabags and unjustifiable xenophobia, there's nothing the great British public loves more than getting the most benign and mundane things banned. Take, for example, the latest ridiculous farce when it comes to jackasses with too much time on their hands -- after receiving an insurmountable number of complaints (23 in total!), the lovable Advertising Standards Authority has
banned an online ad banner for the PlayStation 3 for 'condoning' violence on a Yahoo page. Yes, somewhat like the
Burnout incident I reported on a few months ago, but even more ludicrous.
Hit the jump for more.
[Thanks to Action Bastard. The above video, in case of confusion, is an example of the campaign, not the banned ad in question.]
While the ASA actually provided some valid reasons for the Burnout poster ban, I fail to see any just cause for this newest overreaction. The advertisment in question was a part of Sony's This Is Living campaign, a surreal series of commercials set in a hotel and featuring a cast of twisted characters. The ad showed war veteran Kovac (in video) with a knife and a gun, displaying the lines, "You on my side? listen up I've killed for less. The music plays Puccini in my head." You may have actually seen it on gaming Websites, I definitely remember it when it was relevant -- months and months ago. Not ages later, where it's suddenly become offensive.
I could just about accept the Burnout incident after a while, but this? Not only is it an old advert, it's ridiculously tame, was scheduled to appear at times when children were not supposed to be online and Yahoo only showed it to users registered over the age of 18. Yet a whole 23 petty, pitiful people felt the need to bitch about it, because it was apparently so damn offensive and corrupting. It's been noted that no such bitching was upheld against other ads in the series, notably a woman in her underwear sitting on the toilet.
Please someone help me get out of England.
Please.
Contest:
6:17 AM on 08.08.2007
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But it was pretty violent.
I'm kidding. It was the least violent thing I'v ever seen.
ASA is dumb. England is turning into Orwell's 1984.
That's just ridiculous. You can have a trailer for Bad Boys 2 but not this? One of the complaints came from the Queen or some old Lord or something? I'm sure chavs will now collectively change their behavior..
Also, MS has some banned commercials too. While searching I also found truth!
Probably one of my favourite banned ads.
Still, its a bit of a joke, but then the ASA has always been a bit of a joke (the Cool Boarders white powder posters spring to mind)
This is Livingstone!
I'd lay money on the complaints coming from mostly people over thirty, who don't get or try to understand games as a multi age group medium, like film or books etc. Quite soon we may have to see certificate branded ad banners, just like trailers, which in a way would be ridiculous but perhaps a way to go.
I agree. If I have to see another fucking Geico Caveman commercial, I'm going to build a time machine and stop life from ever evolving on this planet. Just you watch.
Oh, and as to the "this is living" stuff... I don't agree with the banning, but the commercials were on-par with the crappy Wii ads we've seen of people acting like morons. These ads really have nothing to do with PS3. You could show someone sitting in a chair, eating an apple and then overlay the phrase, "This is Living" and that is the equivalent for me.
America gets egg-crows and crying baby dolls, Europe gets women smearing lipstick on their faces and laughing maniacally. Japan gets... Oh. Yeah, their ads are NORMAL by comparison. Think about that. I just said JAPAN and NORMAL in the same sentence. BAD END.
http://www.benoliverisalive.blogspot.com
What about the countless other ads that try something new and dont try to shove the product down you're throat? Want to get rid of those too? You obviously know nothing about marketing. I think this particular ad campaign is brilliant.
Surely an ad campaign is about shoving the program down your throat?
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That said, the ad was only shown post-watershed so I'm not sure what the fuss is about. While I'm not upset that the government has taken away one way for companies to sell me shit, I do think it's indicative of how we Brits seem to be blindly walking into a fascist police/nanny state.
The british must have the smallest cocks in the world, because they never seem to realize when they're being screwed. Some democracy over there, huh.
"[Thanks to Action Bastard. The above video, in case of confusion, is an example of the campaign, not the banned ad in question.]"
Therefore it is NOT the commercial in question.
In other news, I thought it was a cool commercial, it's really too bad the one referred to isn't posted up >.<
It's funny that the Europians are so much more open minded but then when they ban stuff it's the most prudish references...
It is too "violent" psychologically for American media. Again wtf though? What's this have to do with the PS3
It is too "violent" psychologically for American media. Again wtf though? What's this have to do with the PS3