Disney gets spanked for Predator 'severed body' poster

Disney, the company once known for its child-friendly, schmaltzy animations, has been battered by the ad watchdog over a “disturbing” digital poster for the new Predator film, which featured a severed body under the headline “Welcome to a world of hurt”.

The ad, for Predator: Badlands, was seen on a roadside in Giffnock, Glasgow, and featured a large alien creature holding aloft the mangled remains of a figure that had been ripped in two.

But two parents took exception to the digital OOH display and rifled off complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority, arguing that the 10-second digital loop was unsuitable for outdoor display, where it could be viewed by children.

Disney, which owns the franchise through its subsidiary Twentieth Century Studios, attempted to defend the imagery by arguing the victim was not human. The studio claimed the figure was a “synth” robot and argued that the exposed mechanical parts “further emphasised its non-human nature”.

Disney also pointed out that the film carries a 12A certificate and argued that the “stylised” nature of the sequence, which lasted less than two seconds, was unlikely to cause widespread offence. It further claimed the artwork had been “sense-checked” by third parties during the design process.

However, the regulator was having none of it, stating that to a general audience –including children passing by the roadside – the figure appeared human and the imagery was “gory”.

Beyond the severed torso, the ASA noted that close-up shots of the alien’s distorted face and sharp fangs added to the “menacing” tone of the campaign.

The watchdog said in its ruling: “While we acknowledged the studio’s comment that the figure was a robot, we considered that was not clear from the ad. It featured a large, alien character holding up a severed figure by the neck, with the bottom half of the body missing and its spine exposed. We concluded this was likely to be disturbing to younger children.”

Banning the ad from appearing again, the ASA went on to warn Disney of its duty to ensure that outdoor advertising remains appropriate for a general audience and to ensure future campaigns do not cause distress to children.

A spokesperson for Disney said: “We acknowledge the ASA’s ruling. We take our responsibilities to audiences very seriously.”