Phone Ad With Thumbs-Up Jesus Gets Belated Thumbs-Down

The U.K.'s Advertising Standards Authority has belatedly banned a Phones 4U print ad showing a cartoon Jesus winking and giving the thumbs-up sign. Touting "miraculous" deals on Samsung Android phones, the ad ran in April, just before Easter, and the client quickly pulled it following complaints. The official censure five months after the fact resurrects a controversy and raises it to new heights. The ASA's move is getting copious press coverage, much of it showing the ad in question once again, bringing the supposedly offensive image to a global audience and probably offending more folks than the 98 who initially complained.