Disney Advertisement Banned for Disturbing Content
Thursday, 2026/02/19240 words3 minutes157 reads
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has prohibited a Disney advertisement promoting the forthcoming film Predator Badlands, ruling that its graphic content violated advertising standards by potentially causing distress to children. The digital roadside poster, displayed in Giffnock, Glasgow, depicted a large alien creature brandishing the severed torso of a smaller humanoid figure with an exposed spinal column.
Twentieth Century Studios, Disney's subsidiary responsible for the film's production, contended that the dismembered figure was a synthetic robot rather than a human being, arguing that its bisected state further emphasized its non-human characteristics. The studio maintained that the brief, stylized nature of the imagery—appearing for less than two seconds in a 10-second sequence—would be unlikely to cause harm or offense, particularly given the film's 12A rating.
Nevertheless, the ASA determined that advertisers bear responsibility for ensuring content is suitable for general audiences, including young children who might encounter outdoor advertisements. The watchdog concluded that the alien's menacing appearance, combined with the gory depiction of the severed torso and the caption "welcome to a world of hurt," would likely frighten and disturb younger viewers. Critically, the ASA found that the synthetic nature of the dismembered figure was not sufficiently evident from the advertisement itself.
The ruling underscores the tension between creative marketing for mature-rated entertainment and the obligation to protect vulnerable audiences from potentially traumatic imagery in public spaces. Disney has acknowledged the decision and reaffirmed its commitment to meeting required advertising standards.
