LogInAd Standards dismissed the accusation.
Ad Standards received a complaint from a disgruntled Australian who said a Diablo 4 billboard was offensive and reminded them of "the hell of the two years of lockdowns."
In the letter, the person claims the "Welcome to Hell" banner is "inappropriate", "unsettling", and "frightening to children". Here is what they had to say:
“The words 'welcome to Hell Melbourne' as part of the advertisement for this game and a picture of a devil are offensive to me as a Christian,” reads the complaint.
“The imagery is also inappropriate for my children to see and has already given them nightmares. The imagery is frightening to children as the demonic looking character is staring at the camera, creating the effect of staring at the observer. It is located in an prominent position beside a busy freeway where children have a clear view of the very large Billboard.
“I feel it's inappropriate to show such disgusting and disturbing content on a billboard where children are seeing this on a daily basis. It has no context and for an adult of 43, I found it unsettling.
“It’s scary for young children who see it, but even as an adult it brought back memories of the hell of the two years of lockdowns in Melbourne. The language and words used are not necessary to get across the message about the release of this game.”
Ad Standards dismissed the complaint, saying that "given the punctuation, it does not state or imply that Brisbane or Melbourne is ‘hell’ and as such is not derogatory to these cities." It also didn't find any indications of discrimination, vilification, or violence.
"The Panel acknowledged that people of the Christian faith, or other faiths, may not like the use of a reference to hell or the devil (Diablo), however considered that the content of the advertisement itself does not humiliate, intimidate or incite hatred, contempt or ridicule of Christian people (or other faiths) nor does it suggest treatment of such people in an unfair or less favourable manner."
So, unfortunately for the complainer, the billboard will stay where it is. Fortunately for us, the letter can be found here. Also, don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Threads, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.
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