A disturbing poster for Lee Cronin's The Mummy can no longer appear on outdoor advertising in the United Kingdom. Regulators decided that the image looked like a dead child and could frighten young children who saw it on billboards or public transport.
The Advertising Standards Authority published its ruling on August 5 after receiving 30 complaints about the movie's campaign. The decision applies to the outdoor poster designs named in the complaints. The film itself was not banned, and the regulator did not ban every advertisement connected to it.
The poster showed a close view of a young female figure with grey skin, one eye swollen shut, and material wrapped around her head and neck. Warner Bros. said the character was a living mummy, not a dead child. The ASA accepted that the studio did not intend to show a corpse, but said the realistic image could reasonably give that impression.
Four separate issues were considered in the ruling. Only the complaint about outdoor placement and likely distress to young children was upheld. Complaints about serious offense and the restricted video ads were rejected, which is why describing the entire campaign as banned would be inaccurate.
The Location Changed the Decision
Horror advertising is expected to be frightening. The problem here was where the poster appeared. Outdoor ads are not age-restricted, so children can see them while walking past a billboard, waiting for a train, or traveling with family. One of the posters was visible from a nursery, according to the complaints reviewed by the ASA.
The regulator described the face as ashen and mummified, with fabric that could look like a burial shroud. It decided that the image was likely to distress young children and was not suitable for places where they were likely to see it. Warner Bros. was told that the poster designs must not appear again in the form that was investigated.
The number of complaints was not the only factor. Advertising rules do not require thousands of people to object before an image can be restricted. Regulators look at the content, its placement, and who could see it. A single public poster can reach many children even when most adults walk past without reporting it.
