An advert featuring the image of a red-eyed clown with blood and stitches around his face has been banned after parents of “upset” children made complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
The 6-ft high poster was seen around Norwich during the Halloween period to advertise Halloween-themed attractions in the area.
The clown image, which bears a resemblance to the clown character Pennywise from horror movie It, was accompanied by the words “Primevil” and “Screaming won’t help!”.
Norwich resident and mother Johannah Martin NeeTurner brought attention to the poster by posting an image of it on Facebook. She said it left her three-year-old "so upset’ and encouraged others to flag the advert to the ASA.
“If you choose to take your child into a shop to look at horrific masks and outfits then that is your choice,” she wrote.
“We all work hard to protect our children with what they eat, what they watch etc so why is it ok to subject them to this image just because it is Halloween?”
A total of 23 complaints were received about the advert.
The ASA ruled that the advert “must not appear again in its current form”. It noted the clown’s “menacing expression” and glowing red eyes were “likely to distress young children”.
Some people were not so supportive of Ms NeeTurner’s campaign. Facebook user Simon Hill said: “I don’t think it’s inappropriate at all, advertising the event and supporting a local attraction seems like a good idea to me…”
Another Facebook user, Carl Hazzard Willimott, said the whole situation was “censorship gone mad”.
