An Amazon Prime Video Advertisement has been removed after it was found to be in breach of the AANA Code of Ethics\2.3 Violence.
The ad that was promoting the film “Scathing” features an image of a woman in a bra who has blood on her forehead, a taped mouth and bound hands.
The complaint claimed that the ad highlighted the violent degradation of women and argued that it is too accessible to children under the age of 18. “It is the first image on the top left-hand screen on the homepage of my Smart TV. This image is designed to encourage you to click through to the app (promoting the film). This is not once I have clicked “in” to an app, but is automatically displayed when you turn the television on. I appreciate that there may be parental controls implemented to stop young viewers watching in appropriate films; however the image used to promote the film is available is violent and degrading to women,” the complaint said.
The Ad Standards Community Panel determined that the advertisement did present or portray violence, which was not justifiable in the context of the product or service advertised, and did breach. Finding that the ad breached Section 2.3 of the Code, the Panel upheld the complaint.
In response to the complaint, Amazon said: “The advertisement is a carousel promotional image for the title Scathing on Amazon Prime Video. This advertisement appeared on one of our device partner’s homepage carousels. Amazon did not provide the partner with the image in question, and the image was not within Amazon’s control. The image has been removed and replaced by the device partner”.
“As a global video streaming service offering thousands of movies and TV shows, including third-party licensed content and Amazon Originals, we take feedback from our customers and the wider community seriously. We are constantly working to innovate and improve our service on behalf of customers. Amazon seeks to be the most customer-centric company on Earth. That means making our devices and services accessible and safe to all users”.
In response to the complaint, Amazon is internally reviewing how the device partner selected the promotional material to appear on their devices in Australia. It was also requested that the image be removed from the device partner immediately – a request that was confirmed.
