Demi Lovato crucifix ad nailed for offending Christians

An outdoor campaign for Demi Lovato’s Holy Fvck album, which featured the singer bound in a bondage-style outfit while lying on a large, cushioned crucifix, has been banned by the ad watchdog for being likely to cause serious offence to Christians, as well as the wider public and kids.

The activity was seen in multiple sites across London last summer to promote the release of the former Barney & Friends’ star’s eighth album on Polydor Records.

But four members of the public rifled off complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority, challenging whether the ad was likely to cause serious or widespread offence. Some also challenged whether the ad was irresponsibly placed where children could see it.

In response to the ASA inquiry, Polydor Records, a division of Universal Music Operations , explained the poster primarily included the artwork from Demi Lovato’s newly released LP and was designed to promote the album.

Polydor insisted it did not believe the poster would cause serious or widespread offence. Prior to publication, it said it had checked with the agency that the poster was acceptable to run on the proposed sites. The agency had provided an assurance that it was, and Polydor had proceeded on that basis.

The poster appeared at six specific sites in London, for a four-day period and was removed on August 22 2022.

In its ruling, the ASA cited the CAP Code, which states that ads must be prepared with a sense of responsibility and must not contain anything that is likely to cause serious or widespread offence.

The watchdog first assessed whether the language in the ad was likely to cause offence and considered it would be clear to most readers that the ad alluded to the expression “holy fuck”.

The ASA stated: “Because we considered the ad was likely to be seen as referring to a swear word that many would find offensive and had appeared in an untargeted medium and public place where children were also likely to see it, we considered that the ad was likely to result in serious and widespread offence and had been targeted irresponsibly.”

The regulator then assessed whether the ad was likely to also cause offence on religious grounds.

It continued: “We considered that the image of Ms Lovato bound up in a bondage-style outfit whilst lying on a mattress shaped like a crucifix, in a position with her legs bound to one side which was reminiscent of Christ on the cross, together with the reference to ‘Holy Fvck’, which in that context was likely to be viewed as linking sexuality to the sacred symbol of the crucifix and the crucifixion, was likely to cause serious offence to Christians.”

Banning the poster on for breaching the code on both responsible advertising and harm and offence, the ASA also warned Universal Music Operations over future activity.