ASA Adjudication on Zynga Game Network Inc

Ad

An internet ad on Facebook, for an online game, featured a photo of a hooded man holding a large knife in front of him. Text stated "From Street Thug to Capo. Earn your street cred and be respected. Advance from gangster to head boss in Mafia Wars. Play now".

Issue

An internet user challenged whether the ad was irresponsible, because it promoted knife use and condoned violent and anti-social behaviour.

CAP Code (Edition 11)

Response

Zynga Game Network (Zynga) said although the Mafia Wars game was focused on fictional crime organisations, it did not depict violent crimes in the game or any advertising, which was targeted at a male audience aged between the ages of 18 and 55 years. They said the man holding the knife in the ad reflected the content and theme of the game, as did the text, but did not show any actual violence. Zynga argued that the ad was approved by Facebook and was targeted at an adult audience deemed capable of understanding its context. They said they had received no other complaints.

Facebook said the ad had been removed because it breached their advertising guidelines, which prohibited images of weapons.

Assessment

Upheld

The ASA considered that the picture of the hooded man looking straight at the reader, while holding a large knife and posed as if about to strike, was both aggressive and threatening. We noted the text "From Street Thug to Capo. Earn your street cred and be respected. Advance from gangster to head boss in the Mafia Wars" reflected the content of the game, but considered that, together with the picture, the text implied that carrying or using a knife was a way to earn respect from a peer group and a means to achieve success in life. We concluded that the ad glamorised and condoned violence and was irresponsible.

The ad breached CAP Code clauses 2.2 (Responsible advertising) and 11.1 (Violence and anti-social behaviour).

Action

The ad must not appear again in its current form. We welcomed Facebooks decision to withdraw the ad.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Non-broadcast)