‘Frightening’ Call of Duty ad rapped for mid-afternoon airing
The ASA has ruled that the airing of an ad for rated-18 video game Call of Duty: MW3 at 2.30pm during a premier league football match was wrong, and that it should only have been broadcasted after 7.30pm.
Two complainants had said that the ad was ‘inappropriate’ to be shown at this time, with one complaining that their children, aged two and four, were frightened by it.
The ad showed computer-generated scenes of military violence in America, England, France and Germany, with the voice over "The world as you knew it is gone. How far will you go to bring it back?"
Game publisher Activision said it understood the transmission of the ad at this time fell within the ex-kids restriction since it was not broadcast before, during or immediately after a children's programme.
However, the ASA ruled that despite the fact it was not a children’s show it was aired during, there was still a chance that children could see it, and that future broadcasts should only be made after 7.30pm.