Bernardo's Ad

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) have to date received almost 400 complaints over the Bernardo's “Break the Cycle” ad campaign.The number of complaints issued suggests that viewers are clearly taking notice but perhaps for the wrong reasons. They are complaining about their exposure to scenes that are an everyday reality for children around the country. Those children can’t switch off from the violence. The fact that audiences are shocked serves to demonstrate our disproportionate interest in the crime (rather than on its causes); a society keen to point the finger at the ‘hoody’ subculture yet unable to stomach the issues that often lead to the commission of these crimes. The ad the strongest image is that of the father hitting the child. Child abuse is not something that can be watched by anyone.Over all I think this Ad is very powerful and hard hitting, it had some effect on me when I first saw it.