What's happened
The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld complaints about outdoor posters and Underground adverts for Lee Cronin’s horror film The Mummy, saying the imagery could distress young children and appears to be a realistic depiction of a dead child. Warner Bros says the campaign is designed with due responsibility to consumers and society.
What's behind the headline?
Substantive questions for readers
- What makes this campaign distressing to some audiences and not to others?
- How do regulators balance creative expression with public welfare in advertising?
- Will this ruling affect how studios market horror films on public transit in the future?
Forecast: The case will likely prompt tighter scrutiny of poster imagery near schools and nurseries, with more explicit Clearcast risk assessments for late-night TV spots. Expect studios to lean on implied horror rather than explicit visuals to avoid further bans.
How we got here
The ASA has investigated complaints about ads promoting a horror film across London Underground and outdoor billboards. Warner Bros argues the imagery is restrained and that Clearcast approved a post-7:30pm schedule for some TV content. The controversy follows similar earlier incidents of promotional materials drawing complaints and bans.
Our analysis
Independent: 30 complaints over The Mummy ads; The Guardian: ASA upheld complaints about posters; BBC Business: regulator’s findings reaffirm caution on distressing imagery. All note Warner Bros defended the campaign as taking responsibility for viewers.
Go deeper
- Should campaigns using distressing imagery be redesigned for transit spaces?
- Will more advertisers shift to less provocative visuals near children’s spaces?
- What safeguards will TfL and advertisers adopt to prevent future bans?
More on these topics
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Warner Bros. - Motion pictures/entertainment company
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Warner Bros.
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London Underground - Metro system
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom.
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Advertising Standards Authority - Wikimedia disambiguation page
Advertising Standards Authority may refer to: Advertising Standards Bureau (Australia) Advertising Standards Authority (Ireland) Advertising Standards Authority (New Zealand) Advertising Standards Authority (South Africa) Advertising Standards Authority.
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Transport for London (TfL) - Government department
Transport for London is a local government body responsible for the transport system in Greater London, England. TfL has responsibility for London's network of principal road routes, for various rail networks including the London Underground, London Overg
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London - Capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom
London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of 9.1 million people in 2024. Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 15.1 million. London stands on the River...
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Clearcast - Organization
Clearcast is a non-governmental organisation which pre-approves most British television advertising. It came into being on 1 January 2008 and took over the responsibilities of the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre. Clearcast is now owned by four...
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British Broadcasting Corporation - Broadcasting company
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Headquartered at Broadcasting House in Westminster, London, it is the world's oldest national broadcaster, and the largest broadcaster in the world by number of employees.