primary research

http://www.asa.org.uk/Resource-Centre/Reports-and-surveys.aspx

Questions about ads featuring knives and guns
• Where should the ASA draw the line on images of knives and
guns?
• How does the context of the ad influence how acceptable it is?
• How does the way a weapon is featured affect the impact of an
ad?
• What elements of an ad might serve to glamorise guns or knives?
• What elements of an ad might serve to condone gun or knife
violence?
• What other elements of an ad contribute to making it
unacceptable?

3. Advertisements featuring guns and knivesThe ASA has investigated a range of advertisements for different products
featuring knives and guns. Examples shown to delegates can be found
on pages 19 and 20). Coincidentally, the ASA published its ruling on the
Shoot ‘Em Up posters on the day of the conference. There were 55
complaints about the posters and the ASA’s ruling is available at:
www.asa.org.uk/asa/adjudications/Public/TF_ADJ_43573.htm.
General discussion revealed wide concern amongst participants about the
depiction of knives and guns in ads. Many of the delegates were opposed
to any use of guns and knives in advertising. One delegate said she was
concerned that the portrayal of weapons in advertising gave them a
certain ‘coolness’ which did nothing to help keep knife and gun possession
down amongst young people; another said he was concerned that images
of guns were depicted in the media when there were such efforts being
made to bring gun crime down. A third delegate questioned why highly
creative people within the advertising industry needed to use images of
guns and knives in order to get advertising messages across.
The Reebok television commercial featuring the rapper 50 Cent was
shown (see page 19). Delegates were unanimous in finding the ad
unacceptable and all agreed that it glamorised violence. Some questioned
how it had appeared on TV at all; while another person said they also
found the strapline: “I am what I am” offensive on religious grounds.
One delegate said that many music videos were interlinked with films, for
example Get Rich or Die Trying which linked the movie and the music
video and, in his view, deliberately glamorised violence. The ASA should
take a ‘plan for the worst and hope for the best’ approach in the context of
guns in ads. He questioned whether young people had the emotional
skills to think about other forms of conflict resolution and the impact of
their actions, particularly around using guns. In these situations the ASA
should not be thinking about what the general public thinks or does, but
about those who are more likely to be affected, such as vulnerable
youngsters.