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The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has prohibited a Disney advert due to its inclusion of a graphic severed body, which was deemed likely to scare and upset children. The controversial advert promoted the upcoming sci-fi film *Predator Badlands*, producing significant concerns among parents who found the imagery unsettling for young audiences.
This digital poster, displayed in Giffnock, Glasgow, showed a large alien holding what appeared to be the severed torso of a smaller human figure. The figure’s lower half was missing, exposing its spine, while the alien character was depicted with a distorted head and a muzzled mouth. Additional elements included close-up images of the alien’s sharp fangs accompanied by the caption “welcome to a world of hurt.” These graphic scenes prompted complaints from two parents who argued that the content was inappropriate for an outdoor advert viewable by children.
Twentieth Century Studios, a Disney subsidiary responsible for the film, responded by highlighting the 12A age rating for the movie and insisting that the advert was made with that classification in mind. The studio maintained that the severed figure was not human but a robot, or “synth,” and that the act of severing it underscored its non-human nature. Furthermore, they noted that the disturbing image appeared very briefly—less than two seconds in a 10-second advert—and that previous versions had undergone third-party review and modifications to meet social responsibility criteria.
Despite these defenses, the ASA concluded that the advertisement breached rules regarding social responsibility and the potential to cause harm or offence. The watchdog emphasized that the alien’s menacing appearance, combined with the visible gore and the threatening caption, could be distressing to young children. The ASA stated that it was not sufficiently clear the severed figure was a robot, increasing the likelihood it would be perceived as a human being in distress. Consequently, the ASA banned the advert and instructed Disney to ensure future promotions avoid content capable of disturbing child viewers. Disney acknowledged the ruling and reaffirmed its commitment to meet advertising standards responsibly
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