Recently a health department ad in the UK promoted that ”early death” was linked with videogames, something Tiga isn’t amused by.
They’ve lodged a complaint with the British Advertising Standards Authority slamming the adverts, saying it’s ”offensive” to UK videogame developers and the industry as a whole.
The Change4Life campaign is supported by Cancer Research, The British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK. The ad in question shows a child playing with a PlayStation controller looking terminally bored and sitting on a couch with the slogan: ”Risk an early death, just do nothing.”
”This advert is absurd and insulting in equal measure,” said Tiga’s Richard Wilson.
”To imply that playing a videogame leads to a premature rendezvous with the Grim Reaper is a non-sequitur of colossal proportions. Alcohol and drug abuse, smoking, obesity and involvement in violent crime are forms of behaviour that risk an early death.”
Tiga has placed their complaint to the ASA, citing it unfairly targets the videogames industry and its creative, talented workforce.
”This advert is offensive to the 30,000 people who work in the UK’s video games industry, particularly the 10,000 who work in games development.”
”Game developers are typically intelligent, very qualified and creative individuals who work to produce high quality games for people’s entertainment. They are not in the business of driving people to an early grave,” added Wilson.
”With nearly a quarter of men and women and almost a fifth of 2 to 5 year olds in England obese we clearly need to encourage a more active lifestyle and healthy diet. It should be possible to achieve this objective without misrepresenting a creative industry of 30,000 people.”
The ELSPA is also taking action but by communicating with the listed NGOs, which they say are the ones behind the advertising campaign.
”When we became aware of the adverts we were surprised as they contradicted much of the discussion that we had enjoyed with the Department of Health,” said ELSPA’s Michael Rawlinson.
”We immediately called for an urgent meeting with its officials responsible for Change4life. Following that meeting we have been informed that the ads are the responsibility of the NGOs listed.”
”We are now taking the matter up with these organisations and informing them of the responsible position taken by the industry as demonstrated on our Ask About Games website.”
The campaign is meant to shock and help promote a healthier lifestyle. What’s your take, videogamer?
