Call of Duty Advertisement Banned for Trivialising Sexual Violence
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has prohibited a promotional video for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 after receiving multiple complaints that it irresponsibly trivialised sexual violence. The controversial advertisement, which appeared on Video on Demand platforms and YouTube in November, has been deemed socially irresponsible and offensive.
Content of the Banned Advertisement
The advertisement opened with a scene set at an airport security checkpoint. A male officer informed a man that he had been randomly selected to be manhandled and instructed him to face the wall. The officer then demanded the removal of all clothing except shoes, while a female officer donned gloves. The final scene showed the male officer placing a hand-held metal detector into the man's mouth, stating Bite down on this, she's going in dry.
Additionally, the female officer was heard saying Time for the puppet show, which the ASA interpreted as a clear reference to an intrusive body cavity search. The authority noted that the officers' confident and joking demeanour presented the scenario as a source of entertainment.
Complaints and Response from Activision Blizzard
The ASA received nine formal complaints asserting that the advertisement was both irresponsible and offensive for making light of sexual violence. Activision Blizzard UK Ltd, trading as Call of Duty, defended the content by emphasising that it promoted an 18-rated video game targeted exclusively at adult audiences. The company argued that adult viewers possess a higher tolerance for irreverent or exaggerated humour.
Activision Blizzard further stated that the advertisement had received approval from the ad clearance agency Clearcast with an ex-kids timing restriction. It was not broadcast during or adjacent to children's programming or content likely to appeal to individuals under the age of sixteen.
ASA's Ruling and Rationale
The ASA acknowledged that most viewers would recognise the advertisement's intent to be humorous due to its exaggerated portrayal, which contrasted sharply with genuine airport security procedures. However, the authority concluded that the humour derived from the humiliation and implied threat of painful, non-consensual penetration, an act intrinsically associated with sexual violence.
In its ruling, the ASA stated: Because the ad alluded to non-consensual penetration, and framed it as an entertaining scenario, we considered that the ad trivialised sexual violence and was therefore irresponsible and offensive. The authority has mandated that the advertisement must not reappear in its current form and has instructed Activision Blizzard UK Ltd to ensure future advertisements are socially responsible and avoid causing serious offence, particularly by trivialising sexual violence.
This decision underscores the ASA's commitment to maintaining advertising standards that respect societal sensitivities, even when content is aimed at mature audiences. The ruling highlights the fine line between edgy humour and material that crosses into irresponsible territory, especially concerning serious issues like sexual violence.
