Advertising authority backs Barnardo’s advertisements

The advertising watchdog has rejected complains about children’s
charity Barnardo’s latest advertising campaign featuring graphic
images of adults who have killed themselves.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) investigated a number
of complaints from people whose relatives died in similar
circumstances to those depicted. It accepted evidence from the
charity that the adverts “put across the full seriousness of the
reality of the problems it was tackling”.

The adverts aimed to highlight the lasting results of poverty
and abuse suffered during childhood.

A Barnardo’s spokesperson said the charity had temporarily
withdrawn one advert, which features a man hanged in a garage, out
of sensitivity to recent similar cases in the farming
community.

Director of marketing at the charity, Andrew Nebel, said he was
delighted with the ASA ruling.

“We recognise that the new ads are very powerful and present
challenging, even difficult images. However, the aim is not to be
sensationalist, but to depict the tough reality of issues that are
facing today’s children,” he said.