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Nokia ads are too "offensive and distressing"
So bin 'em sharpish, says watchdog

By Jo Best

Published: Thursday 04 March 2004

Advertisements for Nokia's flagship gaming phone, the N-Gage, have been banned by advertising watchdog the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) after complaints that the ads would encourage antisocial behaviour and upset children who had been bullied.

The advertisements, which appeared in cinemas and the press, as well as on poster hoardings across the country, featured dingy settings including a changing room and a caravan, with slogans including "this is where I made Kev look small" and "this is where I left Kate, Lucy and Michelle begging for more".

Those who complained to the ASA said the ads could encourage antisocial behaviour or violence, could prove disturbing for bullying victims and their families and blurred the line between violence in computer games and in reality.

Nokia countered that the ads were just promoting the wireless-gaming aspect of the phone - which has the slogan 'anyone anywhere' - by showing unique environments where users wouldn't expect to play their games and highlighting the competitive nature of gaming. The handset maker also said that it was not selling to kids and was targeting an adult market aged between 18 and 35.

The ASA upheld six out of nine of the complaints. Nokia, which said it wanted to create a "compelling and memorable" campaign, will now no longer be allowed to show the adverts.

The ASA said it will be monitoring to check that Nokia complies with the adjudication.