Stranglehold TV advert banned

By Ellie Gibson Published 16 January, 2008

Too violent, says ASA. OFF.

A TV ad for Midway game Stranglehold has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority for being too violent.

Viewers complained that the game glorified violence and gun crime and could be a dangerous incitement to susceptible people. Or stupid ones. There were also suggestions it was shown too early in the evening, and that there should be nothing on TV until 9pm apart from In the Night Garden and Doctors.

Midway and its advertising company argued the ad was edited to ensure no blood or gore appeared, and that it did not show any characters being shot.

However, the ASA said the near-continuous gunplay and voiceover glamourised violence. The advert was also said to suggest violence was an acceptable solution to a situation. Which it never is of course, unless you're dealing with Nazis or people who might have some really big weapons which you haven't actually seen but are definitely there except they're not.

The ASA said these issues could not be addressed simply by ensuring the ad was only shown late at night. As a result, it has been withdrawn from transmission completely.

"We considered the ad was likely to be seen as encouraging and condoning violence," reported the ASA. "The ad must not be broadcast again in its current form." Even on YouTube - we can't find it, anyway.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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