These reports are case summaries of complaints which appeared to raise issues of substance in relation to the interpretation of the ITC Advertising Standards Code. Summary statistics of non-substantive complaints can be found in the full reports which are obtainable from the ITC.
SKY MOVIE CHANNELS
Complaint from: 48 viewers
Background
Advertising for Sky's Movie Channels featured ordinary people quoting famous lines from various films. One was "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off" (Michael Caine in The Italian Job). Some complainants objected in principle to the use of swearing in television advertising. Others were concerned about scheduling when childen were likely to be watching.
Assessment
The ITC recognised that, for some viewers, any swearing in advertising is unacceptable but did not consider that most viewers would find this use of a relatively mild swear word inherently offensive, particularly since it was used in a relevant context. The ITC did, however, accept that parents were entitled to expect that television advertising should not appear to endorse or encourage swearing and, for this reason, instructed the BACC to restrict the commercial to post-9pm.
Conclusion
30 Complaints upheld on grounds of inappropriate scheduling
18 Complaints not upheld
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