ASA Rejects "Early Death" Ad Complaints

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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ASA Rejects "Early Death" Ad Complaints


The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority [http://www.asa.org.uk/] has rejected complaints from the videogame industry about an ad that implied that videogaming could lead to premature death.

The ad appeared as part of the U.K. government's contemplating legal action [http://www.nhs.uk/Change4Life/] against Change4Life over its unauthorized used of a PlayStation controller in the ad.

But MCV now says the ASA has rejected the complaints because there are "not sufficient grounds for us to intervene on this occasion" and force the ad to be pulled. "Whilst the ASA Council understood the concerns of Tiga and those complainants who worked in the video games industry, it noted that the ad did not claim that playing computer or console games alone would lead to illness or premature death," it added.

"We completely accept the ASA's decision on the complaints made about these ads," said MCV Associate Editor Tim Ingham. "Our point was never against the point these ads were making, but rather the larger issue surrounding the misrepresentation of video games in the media."

The ASA's full statement in response to the complaints can be read here [http://www.mcvuk.com/news/33590/ASA-rejects-gaming-health-risk-ad-complaints].


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Erana

New member
Feb 28, 2008
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Things like that just fuels idiocy, rather than educating people.
 

macatombe

New member
Mar 8, 2009
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Things like this breed ignorance how could anyone not look at this and see Play games and DIE! Since ( at least this is what I've been lead to believe) at least 25% of the UK believe anything that the government tells them and will follow blindly like sheep to their own graves this will end in tears. I hope Sony sues.
 

Bobkat1252

The Psychotic Psyker
Mar 18, 2008
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Not only should Sony be sueing in my opinion but the entirety of the game industry should, this ad campaign is just slander against the industry, nothing more.
 

CoverYourHead

High Priest of C'Thulhu
Dec 7, 2008
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*sigh* Seriously, what the heck? I just don't get how they can say that they weren't advocating that playing video games can cause an early death... LOOK AT THE AD!... I hate people sometimes.
 

johnthenerd

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Mar 18, 2009
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It would have been easier to show the kid sitting there without a controller in his hand. That would actually be doing nothing. As it is, he's at least working his thumbs and forefingers.
 

MarsProbe

Circuitboard Seahorse
Dec 13, 2008
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Typical, though that's the state of affairs in the UK for you. Also, almost can't believe I'm actually saying it, but go Sony... :p

I bet if this was even a single complaint about a "distasteful" ad, they would be write in there. Seeing that, to (mis)quote an episode of Family Guy: "one person has phoned into complain, which means 6 million people have complained, which means 20 million people have complained".

Time to take action then...
 

meatloaf231

Old Man Glenn
Feb 13, 2008
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pimppeter2 said:
OHH NO I IS DIE

VIDEOS GAMES KILLS MES

I KNOES WHAT 2 DOES I SUE DEMS
Hahahahaha...

Thing is, that's probably what goes through a lot of people's heads.
 

scotth266

Wait when did I get a sub
Jan 10, 2009
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HobbesMkii said:
Hrm... a government agency didn't rule against the government. Amazing.
? Really? Suprising to me....

But yeah, I'm not gonna be suprised if Sony takes legal action big-time. That'll get the ads pulled fast.
 

Zildjin81

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Feb 7, 2009
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Change4life: Video games kill people!

Normal People: Why? How?

Change4life: Ummmm.....Errr..... They just do!
 

mooncalf

<Insert Avatar Here>
Jul 3, 2008
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The image accompanying this ad was an extremely poor choice, Sony should and probably will make this abundantly clear.