ASA Adjudication on Motor Neurone Disease Association

Ad

A cinema ad for a charity showed a smartly dressed woman entering a room containing a wheelchair. The door slammed shut behind her. The woman was flung against a column in the middle of the room then collapsed to the floor. She was pulled towards the wheelchair and as she resisted her clothes were torn off, her body twisting and contorted. The sound became muffled, the woman stood up and vomited. The shot cut to the woman sitting on the floor, dribbling. A wash of sound from distant voices echoed around the room. The woman was dragged across the floor by one arm into the wheelchair.

A voice-over stated "Now you know how it feels to get Motor Neurone Disease. Help us fight back." The on-screen text stated "Motor Neurone Disease Association" and listed a web address.

Issue

Five complainants challenged whether the ad was offensive and distressing and not suitable to be shown before films rated 15.

CAP Code

Response

The Motor Neurone Disease Association (MND Association) said their research showed awareness of their organisation was less than 1% among the public, and the Sarahs Story ad was created to increase understanding of a devastating and fatal disease, encouraging viewers to visit the website and find out more and hopefully donate to their research.

They said the ad was not gratuitous and depicted the physical deterioration caused by creeping paralysis and muscle spasms.  They said the body being flung against a wall represented the shock of diagnosis, the falling represented one of the early symptoms of the disease, the crawling showed advanced loss of limb movement. They said the removal of clothes represented the loss of dignity suffered by people with MND and enabled the viewer to see the wasting effect of the disease on the muscles. They emphasised that a sufferer of MND had featured in that part of the ad.  

They sent the testimony of a Consultant Anaesthetist living with MND and the testimony of Sarah, whose body featured in the ad. The Consultant Anaesthetist said the ad portrayed very accurately the physical and emotional effect of the disease on sufferers. Sarah said the ad was a true reflection of how it feels to get MND and the physical deterioration it had caused her body. They said the ad should be considered in the context of other hard-hitting charity and public service campaigns, and emphasised that, although the material in the ad might be distressing to some viewers, it was justified given the issue of which it sought to raise awareness.

The Cinema Advertising Association (CAA) said the visuals in the ad were designed to make a point regarding a disease that people might think they know (because of the ubiquity of images of the physicist Stephen Hawking) but which they were relatively ignorant. They said the ad sought to communicate physical facts that might be little known, for example physical bodily distortion, loss of bodily function and pain. The emotional shock of being diagnosed with MND was shown when Sarah was thrown against a pillar. The visuals were not gratuitous and the portrayal of muscle spasms and cramps, saliva expression and choking were not presented merely to shock, but so that the viewer could empathise.  The CAA considered the images and tone of the ad were justified given the nature of its message and the rating applied.

Assessment

Not upheld

The ASA noted the MND Association and the CAA's comments. We acknowledged that some viewers may find the ad distressing.  However, we also noted the MND Association had sought to portray the physical and emotional effects of the disease on the sufferer, and that the testimonials sent confirmed it did so accurately. In the context of an ad aimed at raising awareness about the physical and emotional effects of MND we considered the hard-hitting sequence featuring Sarah was justified. Although distressing to some, we concluded the ad was suitable to be shown before 15 rated films and the content was justified given the nature of the message.

We investigated the ad under CAP Code clauses 5.1 and 5.2 (Decency) and 9.1 (Fear and distress) but did not find it in breach.

Action

No further action necessary.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Non-broadcast)