'Distressing' imagery: From 'Ali G' to 'The Mummy' - Which movie posters have been banned since 2000?

The UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned film posters for the upcoming horror movie "The Mummy" from being displayed publicly in London tube stations due to their realistic depictions of a deceased child. The ASA received 30 complaints regarding the promotional campaign in the city's public transportation system.

The posters featured a close-up of a female character with a mummified appearance and one eye swollen shut, accompanied by the ominous text: "Some things are meant to stay buried." The ads also included scenes of a body being extracted from a sarcophagus and a distressed woman as a hand with long, brittle nails approached her face, ending with the mother imploring, "I just want my daughter back."

The posters were approved by Clearcast, a vetting agency responsible for post-7.30pm broadcasts. Warner Bros., the film's distributor, defended the campaign, stating it was created with "due responsibility to consumers and society" and was not intended to instill fear or offense. They explained that the character depicted was a "living mummy" who was returned to her family years after being kidnapped as a child.

The studio argued that the posters used a neutral facial expression and minimized distressing elements, such as violence, threat, or intimidation. Warner Bros. further claimed that the design had been submitted to Transport for London's advertising partner, Global, and had been accepted for display on the London Underground network.

The ASA upheld the complaints, determining that the posters' depiction of the female character's ashen skin, dry lips, one swollen eye, and vacant expression gave a "realistic impression of a dead child." Despite the ads not being placed within 100 meters of any schools, one billboard was visible from a children's nursery. The watchdog concluded that the images were likely to distress young children and were unsuitable for outdoor display, as they breached advertising codes.