'Kane & Lynch' ads banned by ASA

Three promotional ads for video game Kane & Lynch: Dead Man have been banned by the ASA after it upheld 26 complaints.

The Advertising Standards Authority has ordered Eidos not to print or broadcast the ads again, describing the campaign as "violent" and "shocking".

One ad, which shows a gagged woman crying and having her head held back by one of the pair, was printed in a games magazine and in Total Film.

The ASA commented: "The portrayal of violence it contained, with particular regard to the female hostage, was graphic and too shocking to be seen in an untargeted medium."

In another press ad, Eidos describes the game as: "Grittier and nastier in tone than anything you've seen before. The violence here is visceral, brutal and very, very real."

In response, the ASA said the ad was "likely to be seen as condoning and glorifying real violence", and was also irresponsible and "likely to cause serious or widespread offence".

A Channel 4 and Channel Five TV ad for the game was also banned by the ASA after it concluded that it breached its code on harm and offence, violence and cruelty and personal distress.

The TV broadcast, which featured a scene in which a man with a bloodied face appeared to have his throat cut, forced both Channel 4 and Channel Five to apologise to viewers for any distress caused.