Every year Halloween and bonfire night are enjoyed by adults and children alike. Many advertisers are understandably keen to join in the fun. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but you should be mindful of the fact that some themes and images associated with Halloween and fireworks can raise concerns and prompt complaints to the ASA.

As an example, the ASA often receives complaints about the depiction or branding of Halloween costumes or ads for horror films that are released to coincide with the festival, on the grounds that they’re offensive or irresponsible. Moreover, advertisers should also be aware of the sensitivities around fireworks and children and ensure they are not inadvertently encouraging irresponsible behaviour.

Safety first

If you’re considering a campaign featuring bonfire night related images, remember, fireworks and alcohol don’t always mix. In an informally resolved case, the ASA considered that a tweet by an alcohol producer that explicitly linked the consumption of alcohol with setting off of fireworks was potentially harmful as it could encourage people to operate explosives while under the influence. On that basis the advertiser agreed to withdraw it.

Scary images

When creating potentially scary or frightening content care should be taken to consider where the ad will appear and whether the imagery is appropriate for the audience. Ads that are designed to make people jump may not be appropriate in a medium where some of the people seeing them will be young children.

The ASA’s recent decision to ban a poster that appeared on the London Underground bears this out. Promoting a “live zombie experience’, the ad featured the head of a zombie looking towards the viewer. Although the ASA didn’t consider it was likely to distress older children and adults, it judged that the poster was unsuitable for display in an untargeted medium where it was likely to be seen by young children.

Offensive costumes

Complaints about the negative portrayal of mental health conditions often arise around Halloween; many costumes are inspired by horror films which associate characters with these conditions as being villainous or sinister. Advertisers need to remember that negative portrayal of serious mental health illnesses is likely to cause offence.

The ASA investigated a complaint regarding a Halloween costume called “Adult Skitzo”. The costume itself consisted of an orange boiler suit and included manacles, chains and a face mask. The term “Skitzo” was considered the most troubling aspect of the ad, and in conjunction with the image of the costume, the ad was likely to reinforce negative stereotypes about mental illness and therefore cause serious or widespread offence.

Tread carefully

So, remember not to get too carried away during these annual celebrations. Explosive devices, ghoulish images and scary costumes can be lots of fun but they also have the potential to cause harm and offence. If in doubt about where the line is drawn, contact Copy Advice and they’ll guide you through things.

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