A poster for Lee Cronin's horror film The Mummy has been banned from the London Underground after receiving 30 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The advertisement, which featured a realistic depiction of a dead child, was deemed too distressing for public display.
Poster Details and Complaints
The poster showed a close-up of a young deceased girl with one eye closed and the other open. Her forehead was covered by brown fabric adorned with symbols, and her neck was partially covered. The mummified skin was covered in scars and marks. The poster read: "Some things are meant to stay buried. Lee Cronin's The Mumy, in cinemas April 17. Experience it in IMAX."
Warner Bros, the film's distributor, argued that the posters had been prepared with "due responsibility to consumers and society," and were not designed to create fear or distress, nor likely to cause serious or widespread offence. They said the girl had a neutral expression and no violence, threats, or intimidation was shown.
ASA Ruling
However, the ASA ruled that the grey colour of her skin, dry and cracked lips, and lifeless appearance made her look like a real dead child. The organisation stated: "Because the figure had recognisable human features, we considered that viewers were likely to understand it as a realistic depiction of a dead child."
Warner Bros had noted that the ads were not placed within 100 metres of any schools, but the ASA understood that the ad was visible from a children's nursery. The ASA concluded: "In any case, we considered the image was likely to distress young children and that it was unsuitable for display where it was likely to be seen by them. We therefore concluded that the ads were unsuitable for outdoor display and therefore breached the code."
The film was released in April this year.
