74 live in fear as clown ad is cleared

Colrophobes look away now; an ad featuring this spooky image of a clown, which promoted the film Poltergeist, have been cleared to run and run by the ad watchdog despite a barrage of complaints that they were too scary.
Appearing on buses and posters, 74 complainants said the ads were distressing for themselves, their children or those with colrophobia, the fear of clowns, and questioned whether they were suitable for outdoor display in an untargeted medium.
It is not known whether famous colrophobes – which include Johnny Depp, Sean “P Diddy” Combs, and Daniel Radcliffe – were among them.
In response to the Advertising Standards Authority investigation, Twentieth Century Fox Film conceded that the ad had caused upset, by having gained approval by Exterion Media – the firm which flogs ads on London Transport – the poster had been given the green light by the copy approval team.
And, while the ASA also acknowledged the ad may have caused distress to some people, it ruled the image was “not menacing” and included no other images that were likely to contribute to such an impression.
It added that no further action was necessary.