Horror movie poster too frightening for bus stops

An ad agency may be the victim of its own success with a ruling that a horror movie poster was too scary to be displayed at bus stops and on billboards.

The Advertising Standards Complaints Board has ruled placement of the posters - which were headed "No one gets out alive" and features a distorted evil-looking face of a monster for the movie Doom - failed to fulfil their social responsibility to consumers and society.

Five people complained to the board that posters were likely to scare young children and give them nightmares.

"This is totally unsuitable to be seen in public places," one wrote.

The media agency for advertiser United International Pictures told the board the image had been used throughout the world and there had been no issues or complainants.

There had been no evidence that children had appeared to be upset, Media Direction said.

Horror movies were a well-established and widely understood movie genre, it said.

The image itself was not considered to be in breach of the Code of Ethics but a majority of the board noted there was a responsibility on the media when using outdoor advertising to ensure the location was taken into consideration.

A majority of the board ruled the use of the poster in the outdoor advertising location breached the code.

- NZPA