Posters for the film “The Mummy” have been prohibited from being displayed in outdoor public spaces across the UK due to their graphic representation of a deceased child.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK received thirty complaints regarding the promotional materials for the latest film directed by Lee Cronin, which were displayed in London subway stations.
One of the controversial posters featured a close-up of a woman with a mummified look, her left eye swollen shut, accompanied by the tagline: “Some things are meant to stay buried.”
Additionally, television and streaming services aired a trailer that included scenes of a body being taken from a sarcophagus, alongside a distressed woman being touched by a hand with long, brittle nails. The trailer concluded with the mother expressing her longing for her daughter, stating, “I just want my daughter back.” This advertisement had been sanctioned for broadcasts after 7:30 PM by the Clearcast vetting agency.
Many complainants expressed that the advertisements were upsetting for both children and adults.
In response, Warner Bros defended the marketing campaign, asserting that it was developed with a sense of responsibility towards consumers and society and was not intended to provoke fear or offense.
The studio clarified that the character shown in the posters was a “living mummy” who had been reunited with her parents after being abducted as a child many years prior.
Warner Bros emphasized that the posters featured a face with a neutral expression, minimizing the potential for distress by omitting violence, threats, or intimidation.
Furthermore, the design was submitted to Global, the advertising partner of Transport for London, and received approval for placement within the London Underground network.
According to the studio, the horror elements depicted in the trailer were suggested rather than explicitly shown, containing no “jump scares, violence, or gory scenes” and avoiding graphic imagery.
In a ruling supporting the complaints about the posters, the ASA noted that the grayish and ashen skin tone, along with dry, cracked lips, one eye swollen shut, and the vacant appearance of the other eye created an unsettlingly realistic impression of a deceased child.
Although the ads were not positioned within 100 meters of any educational facilities, one billboard was visible from a nearby children’s nursery.
The ASA concluded, “In any case, we considered the image was likely to distress young children and that it was unsuitable for display where it could be seen by them. We therefore determined that the ads were inappropriate for outdoor display and breached the code.”
