Mattessons ‘fangs’ ad too frightening, declares ASA

A television ad for Mattessons Fridge Raiders has been criticised by advertising regulator The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for scaring children.

The ASA has upheld 61 complaints against an ad for the Kerry Foods brand, including 23 from parents who said their children, ranging from 11 months to eight years old, were frightened by the ads. Another 30 viewers said the ad should not have been broadcast when children could see it.

The execution, created by Quiet Storm, featured characters, including an elderly woman and a child in a pushchair with vampire-like fangs. With their teeth bared, they move towards a man eating Fridge Raiders, but when he looks up they appear to be normal.

The ad had received an “ex-kids” restriction from the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre (BACC) to ensure it was not screened around children’s programmes. Mattessons and Quiet Storm shifted the ad to timeslots after 7.30pm, following the complaints. The ASA acknowledged the prompt action taken by Mattessons.

⢠The ASA has upheld a complaint against a radio ad for Telewest in which a voiceover declares: “… getting broadband couldn’t be easier…Get unlimited broadband and you can also have digital TV and a phone line for &£30 a month. If you live in a Telewest area and you want all three … call or go to Telewest.co.uk.” A customer called but was told that, although he lived in a Telewest area, the company was unable to provide broadband or digital services in his area.