Britain Bans PS3 Ad Featuring Bald Man In Bathtub

You can show a lot of things in an ad these days. Bums, bits of tits, it’s all fair game. One thing that’s not cool to show, however, is a little bald European man sitting in a bathtub, especially when said European is a mercenary, holding a gun and saying he listens to Puccini. Britain’s Advertising Standards Authority have banned an internet ad featuring Kovac, one of Sony’s “This is Living” PS3 ad campaign characters (you may also be familiar with half-naked girl sitting on the can). In the short ad, some text is shown that reads:

You on my side? Listen up, I’ve killed for less. The music plays Puccini in my head.

This displays over a shot of Kovac pointing a handgun at the bathroom roof, which the ASA has branded unacceptable:

We considered that there was an underlying tone of violence in the ad and we were concerned that the images of Kovac holding the knife and the gun, in conjunction with the text, ‘You on my side? Listen up I’ve killed for less…” could be seen to glamorise violence or anti-social behaviour.

As a result this ad is now gone, banned in Britain, and Sony must now be very careful not to release another commercial which may “condone or glamorise violence or anti-social behaviour”. Or shooting up a church, you can almost hear them whisper…

Violent Playstation 3 Ad Banned [LSE, thanks Tom!]