Ad description
An in-app ad for the reading app Dreame, seen in the Scrabble Go app on 16 February 2023, included text which stated “Making it possible for every passer-by to look at me. To see the multiple bruises beneath the dress. I had wanted to leave, wanted to go back to the attic. But I knew that would only cause me more beatings. More abuse.” Text continued “… she screamed in my face as hers turned into an ugly shade of red. ‘I did suck off your i.diot [sic] boyfriend,’ I thought. ‘And it was the hardest chore ever.’ … “you are not his mate anymore,” she hissed as she slapped me.” Further text stated “Wake up you lazy s.lut [sic] … a sharp piercing pain hit my stomach and I woke up as a bucket of cold water washed over my thinly clad body.”
Issue
The complainant, who believed the ad contained references to physical assault and oral sex, challenged whether the ad was irresponsible, offensive and harmful.
Response
Stary Pte Ltd said that the ad had been created and tested by a third-party agency, and had received a small number of views. They said they deeply regretted that the ad had been served, and that they had removed it from all relevant platforms once they had been made aware of the complaint.
Stary said they had terminated their relationship with the agency responsible for creating the ad, and had reiterated their advertising guidelines to all agency partners. They said they were taking steps to ensure future compliance with the CAP Code, and were working with Google Ads in order to achieve that outcome.
Scopely, publishers of the Scrabble Go app in which the ad was seen, said that in-app ads were handled by a third-party group, so they did not have complete control over which ads were offered to users, or the content seen in them. They said that they would discuss the matter internally, and continue to monitor ads published in their apps.
Google Ireland Ltd, the service providing the ad platform, confirmed that the ad had been served through Google Ads, a self-administered system. They said that under the terms agreed to by advertisers, it was the advertiser’s responsibility to abide by applicable laws and regulations, including the CAP Code. They said that the ad had breached Google Ads’ policies, and they had taken steps to prevent it from being served again. Google Ireland said that while they aimed to stop similar ads appearing in future, certain ads might circumvent their policies and systems. They said that they were working to strengthen their mechanisms based on the matters raised by the complaint.
Assessment
Upheld
The CAP Code stated that ads must be prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and to society, and must not cause serious or widespread offence.
The ad included excerpts from a written story that described situations in which a woman was subjected to humiliation, physical abuse, and violence, including descriptions of the injuries caused by her treatment. It also included references to the abuser, another woman, performing oral sex on the victim’s boyfriend, and using the act as a means of mental torture towards the victim.
While the ASA welcomed Stary’s removal of the ad, and their assurances regarding future marketing materials, we considered that such references used in an ad for a mobile app game trivialised and condoned the serious subject of violence against women. That, coupled with the direct references to oral sex, was likely to cause serious and widespread offence, and we considered the ad had not been prepared in a socially responsible manner.
Given the above, we concluded that the ad breached the Code.The ad breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 1.3 (Social responsibility) and 4.1 (Harm and offence).
Action
The ad must not appear again in the form complained about. We told Stary Pte Ltd to ensure future ads were socially responsible and did not cause serious or widespread offence or harm, including by making reference to physical assault and sexual acts.
