SPIDERMAN AD PULLED AT LITTLEWOODS

11 July 2008

Banner based on popular Cryptologic game banned by Brit Advertising Standards Authority


The use of online banner advertising featuring Marvel comic characters to promote slots with a similar theme has come under the microscope this week following a ban by the British Advertising Standards Authority on a Littlewoods ad produced by Future Publishing.

Spiderman, a themed video slot game from Cryptologic, was at the centre of the dispute which motivated the ASA decision due to its potential appeal to children. The advertisement featured the Spiderman superhero to promote the Spiderman 25-line video slot machine. The banner had in any case been pulled by Littlewoods after other complaints.

The ad featured the strapline ‘The Amazing Spiderman 25 Line Jackpot Slot GBP 50 Sign Up Bonus’, and Future Publishing stressed that it was not targeted at children because the average age of the gambling website was 41 years. In addition, both firms emphasised that strict procedures are enforced to obviate underage gambling.

Littlewoods revealed that it has been using characters from Marvel Comics in its advertisements since 2005 and that this was the first time there had been any problems.

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