Believe it or not, British people think an image of a floating girl in a bloody dress could scare children. While this has not been scientifically proven, it is a well-known fact that if you sit a 10-year-old down to watch the original Exorcist movie, some very sleepless nights can occur.
The Guardian is reporting that the ever-pesky Advertising Standards Authority received 77 complaints concerning two posters promoting Lionsgate’s film The Last Exorcism, causing the ASA to ban the ads in public places due to their unsuitability for children and their likelihood to “cause offense and distress when displayed in an untargeted medium.”
While the ad may not seem all that shocking to some (honestly, the possessed girl looks kind of bored or sleepy), young British lads and lasses probably don’t enjoy the site of a demon hovering above their bus stop. Still, a poster of a worried-looking priest or a holographic Ouija board might not have done the trick. After all, with a tiny $1.8 million budget, The Last Exorcism grossed over $54 million in theaters.
So, we salute the poster’s placement company, Optimum Releasing, for scaring the hell out of impressionable children who aren’t even old enough see the movie. Bonus points for not stealing campaign work from somewhere else, unlike America’s Halloween weekend box office king, Saw 3D.