By Dan Satherley
Both God and the Devil were at the centre of complaints the Advertising Standards Authority rejected this week.
The first concerned an advert for Libra Invisible sanitary pads. In it, a woman said, "Oh my God, he's looking, oh my God," as she watched men working out at rugby practise.
Complainant J Schoeman took offence, saying: "There is absolutely NO need for young girls to use the Lord’s name in vain and trivial matter."
The ASA said although the complainant may have been offended, the phrase "Oh my God" was a "well-used expression… in light of the generally prevailing community standards, it was not likely to cause serious or widespread offence".
The authority noted a previous case had deemed the word "Godawful" fine to use, which set a precedent.
Another complaint concerned an advert for Hell Pizza. In it, a man playing the Devil brags about how he hacked into a Hell employee's Facebook account, stole some of her photos and threatened to show them to her mother, in order to blackmail her into going to work.
In a demonic voice, the Devil looks at the camera and says, "Which is all that matters to you."
The complainant, J Ritchie, claimed the "evil change of voice of the Devil and also the use of bribery in exchange for work from a female is disgusting".
The ASA said the Devil was a regular character in Hell adverts, and the "black-humoured and deliberately provocative" advert did not reach the threshold to cause serious or widespread offence.
It also noted the advert was not shown during programmes aimed at children and although "lacking in taste", its intended audience would "understand the irony and humour".
The complaint was thrown out.
3 News
source: newshub archive
