ASA Adjudication on Lions Gate UK Ltd

Ad

A poster for the film Harry Brown was divided in two sections, and featured a teenage girl and two teenage boys in the upper part of the poster. The girl had her arms wrapped tightly around herself and appeared unhappy. Both boys were holding guns; the centre boy looked menacing and the other boy was naked from the waist up. The bottom half of the poster featured a picture of Michael Caine behind a gun target. Text in the centre of the target stated "ONE MAN WILL TAKE A STAND".

Issue

The complainant challenged whether the ad was offensive and glamorised and condoned gun crime and violent behaviour.

CAP Code

Response

Lions Gate UK Ltd (Lions Gate) said they believed the ad reflected the content of the film, which had an 18 certificate rating, without condoning gun crime or violent behaviour. They said they recognised that the ad could attract complaints if posted insensitively, and so they had decided not to place it in areas where gun crime was a local issue. Lions Gate explained that, if the ad had caused an adverse reaction during the two weeks it was posted, they would have replaced it immediately with a different design, but that that had not been necessary.

Assessment

Not upheld

The ASA noted that the young people featured in the ad were not glamorous or aspirational figures, and that the two guns were not being brandished in a threatening or aggressive manner, but were pointing away from the reader. We recognised that the content of the poster communicated the theme of the film, and we considered that the text "ONE MAN WILL TAKE A STAND" at the bottom of the ad explained the film's storyline. Whilst we acknowledged that the ad would not be to everyone's taste, we considered that it was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence, or condone and glamorise gun crime and anti-social behaviour.

We investigated the ad under CAP Code clauses 2.2 (Social responsibility), 5.1 (Decency) and 11.1 (Violence and anti-social behaviour) but did not find it in breach.

Action

No further action necessary.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Non-broadcast)