N-Gage Takes Fresh Kicking – Adverts Banned by ASA
Nokia on a roll as executive complaints and low sales compounded by advertising ban.
Nokia has found itself in a whole new world of pain this morning, with the news that its latest marketing push for the ill-fated handheld games machine-cum phone, the N-Gage, has been banned outright by the Advertising Standards Agency.
The move follows 12 complaints regarding the firm’s fly-poster, press and cinema adverts from members of the public, with the common issue seeming to be that the materials used are too violent and were both "offensive and depressing." Which seems a little pathetic to us.
One of the adverts that prompted complaints contains the phrase, "This is where I took on three guys – and made them cry like babies." The ASA deemed that the ad "could be interpreted as a depiction of bullying" and therefore "likely to cause offence and distress."
Nokia defended its campaign, insisting that the wording used is entirely standard for a videogames machine, possibly threatening the directors of the ASA with some kind of reprisal via the magic of Bluetooth, though this could not be confirmed at time of press.
The good news for Nokia is that it can now compete on a level playing field with every other player in the games sector. Almost every publisher and hardware manufacturer has had an advert banned by the ASA after complaints from Britain’s extremely sensitive chattering classes. What kind of democracy inhibits free speech after 12 complaints when over 56,000,000 don’t see enough of a problem to bother calling or emailing?
The move follows 12 complaints regarding the firm’s fly-poster, press and cinema adverts from members of the public, with the common issue seeming to be that the materials used are too violent and were both "offensive and depressing." Which seems a little pathetic to us.
One of the adverts that prompted complaints contains the phrase, "This is where I took on three guys – and made them cry like babies." The ASA deemed that the ad "could be interpreted as a depiction of bullying" and therefore "likely to cause offence and distress."
Nokia defended its campaign, insisting that the wording used is entirely standard for a videogames machine, possibly threatening the directors of the ASA with some kind of reprisal via the magic of Bluetooth, though this could not be confirmed at time of press.
The good news for Nokia is that it can now compete on a level playing field with every other player in the games sector. Almost every publisher and hardware manufacturer has had an advert banned by the ASA after complaints from Britain’s extremely sensitive chattering classes. What kind of democracy inhibits free speech after 12 complaints when over 56,000,000 don’t see enough of a problem to bother calling or emailing?
Companies:
Nokia
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Comments
DoctorDee 4 Mar 2004 13:07
1/5
The way advertising complaints are handled in this country is a joke! Twelve miserable over-sensitive namby pamby dullards complain about an advertising campaign, and it gets banned. What happened to democracy? Surely, in a country with 59Megapopulation, 28 million should have to complain before it something gets banned?
The Nokia campaign, while tedious and uninspired, was in no way offensive. The fact that as few as twelve people thought otherwise should not be a basis for banning it.
I have an idea. Let's create a group of perpetual complainers, let's complain about EVERY inoffensive advert. This will create a level of "background noise". Then when an advert that could possibly be considered offensive is issued, we all keep total radio silence, not one word of compaint.
That way an advert with Sophie Dahl on her back with her tits out will get FEWER complaints than an advert with flowers, and puppy dogs.
Of course, the only flaw in this plan is who would hacve guessed that someone would have found the Nokia campaign offensive.
The Nokia campaign, while tedious and uninspired, was in no way offensive. The fact that as few as twelve people thought otherwise should not be a basis for banning it.
I have an idea. Let's create a group of perpetual complainers, let's complain about EVERY inoffensive advert. This will create a level of "background noise". Then when an advert that could possibly be considered offensive is issued, we all keep total radio silence, not one word of compaint.
That way an advert with Sophie Dahl on her back with her tits out will get FEWER complaints than an advert with flowers, and puppy dogs.
Of course, the only flaw in this plan is who would hacve guessed that someone would have found the Nokia campaign offensive.
SPInGSPOnG 4 Mar 2004 13:47
2/5
DoctorDee wrote:
>The way advertising complaints are handled in
>this country is a joke!
It's not just the way complaints are handled, it's the way the country is run.
England is so lame ass, you keep following us to war, and then whinging like a mofo every time we accidentally.
Anybody who think anything should be banned just because it contains language used by bullies is a freaking fruitcake. Bullying is a fact of life, either make it illegal to be bigger than other people or learn to live with it. Buy a bullworker or STFU!
Jeez, banning an advert because of 12 complaints. More than 50% of our voters said no to Bush, but his Fox network cousin and daddy's Supreme Court buddies got him the Whitehouse all the same. And this time round the odds are 142 to 32 for him doing it again.
>The way advertising complaints are handled in
>this country is a joke!
It's not just the way complaints are handled, it's the way the country is run.
England is so lame ass, you keep following us to war, and then whinging like a mofo every time we accidentally.
Anybody who think anything should be banned just because it contains language used by bullies is a freaking fruitcake. Bullying is a fact of life, either make it illegal to be bigger than other people or learn to live with it. Buy a bullworker or STFU!
Jeez, banning an advert because of 12 complaints. More than 50% of our voters said no to Bush, but his Fox network cousin and daddy's Supreme Court buddies got him the Whitehouse all the same. And this time round the odds are 142 to 32 for him doing it again.
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TigerUppercut 4 Mar 2004 13:55
3/5
If it’s that easy, couldn’t we get other adverts banned? What about the 24 hour lifestyle advert for Philadelphia Mini Pots. It hints towards eating soft cheese as being a replacement for yoga, which it clearly isn’t.
Or the Lemsip Max Strength advert. “Ill with the flu? Think you ought to stay in bed for a few days, as widely recommended by every health organisation on the planet? Well you know what’ll happen! That c**t in your department will stab you in the back and nick your job! With Lemsip Max Strength, you can enter the office at your most infectious and make sure that someone doesn’t take the credit for some report you’ve been working on!”
If that doesn’t represent bullying, I don’t know what does…
Complain here: I’ve just done it. Let’s bring down Lemsip! http://146.101.202.226/contact_ofcom/tv_radio_other
Or the Lemsip Max Strength advert. “Ill with the flu? Think you ought to stay in bed for a few days, as widely recommended by every health organisation on the planet? Well you know what’ll happen! That c**t in your department will stab you in the back and nick your job! With Lemsip Max Strength, you can enter the office at your most infectious and make sure that someone doesn’t take the credit for some report you’ve been working on!”
If that doesn’t represent bullying, I don’t know what does…
Complain here: I’ve just done it. Let’s bring down Lemsip! http://146.101.202.226/contact_ofcom/tv_radio_other
Arse McAdams 4 Mar 2004 14:49
4/5
The only problem is that the adverts obviously offended more people than they influenced. Now if the 11 people that bought N-Gages would just unite and stand forward, then surely there'd be some slight chance of an appeal?
I particularly like the ad that goes: "This is where I gave her it up the tradesman's." or did I just imagine that one...?
I particularly like the ad that goes: "This is where I gave her it up the tradesman's." or did I just imagine that one...?
SPInGSPOnG 4 Mar 2004 18:21
5/5
Arse McAdams wrote:
>I particularly like the ad that goes: "This is
>where I gave her it up the tradesman's." or did I
>just imagine that one...?
Dude, you're not imaginging things... that's the ad for the new "Bum Uma" game, it's a spin off licence from Kill Bill.
See: http://spong.com/x?msg=427
>I particularly like the ad that goes: "This is
>where I gave her it up the tradesman's." or did I
>just imagine that one...?
Dude, you're not imaginging things... that's the ad for the new "Bum Uma" game, it's a spin off licence from Kill Bill.
See: http://spong.com/x?msg=427