Singer Demi Lovato has had a poster advert for her new album ‘HOLY FVCK’ banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for causing ‘widespread offence’ on religious grounds and being inappropriate for children to view.
The ad sees the star wear a bondage-style outfit while she lies on a large, cushioned crucifix, with the headline reading ‘Demi Lovato, HOLY FVCK’ – the name of the singer’s most recent album.
Polydor Records, a division of Universal Music Operations, responded to the claims that the marketing campaign was offensive and irresponsibly placed where children could see it, by explaining that its agency had approved the poster and deemed it as acceptable to run on the proposed sites.
For a four-day period the poster appeared at six sites in London and was removed on 23 August last year.
Nevertheless, the ASA assessed that the language in the ad was likely to cause offence as it alluded to the expression holy fuck’.
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The advertising watchdog also considered that the ad had been targeted ‘irresponsibly’ as it had appeared in an untargeted medium and public place where children were likely to see it.
To add to the violations of the ad authority’s code, the ASA believed that the imagery, reminiscent of Christ on the cross, could be viewed as linking sexuality to the sacred symbol of the crucifix and the crucifixion and was therefore likely to cause serious offence to Christians.
“The ad must not appear again in the form complained of unless it was suitably targeted. We told Universal Music Operations Ltd to ensure their ads did not cause serious or widespread offence in future,” the advertising regulator added.
