ASA dismisses GTA IV telly ad complaints
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Jul 30th 2008 at 9:45AM }
The UK advert for GTA IV was very similar to the US version ... just with a British voice over at the end and some squiggly mark in front of the price tag that looks like this: £. We've been told it means lbs., but that seems silly, because pounds are a measure of weight. Anyway, the commercial can be found after the break for a refresher.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brucie B @ Jul 30th 2008 9:53AM
You have to be Kidding!
Tiptup300 @ Jul 30th 2008 1:49PM
Nothing like the ripe ole age of 99.
knighty @ Jul 30th 2008 10:11AM
And we all know 1 complaint equals 1 billion viewers. So 17 BILLION people were offended by this advert.
Infidel @ Jul 30th 2008 10:13AM
Where is that from? I know i loved it but cant remember the name.
knighty @ Jul 30th 2008 10:15AM
Family Guy, the episode with the FCC and Peter's own TV station :P
rdaneel72 @ Jul 30th 2008 10:30AM
I read Clive Barker's Damnation Game when I was in college. I was an English major, and pretty smart. I knew Barker was British. I understood the novel was set in the UK. But the concept of the protaganist wearing a 400 pound suit baffled me for several pages. I assummed it was some kind of metaphor; the protaganist had just gotten out of jail, perhaps the weight of the suit was symbolic of the pressure a ex-con feels to assimilate back into society.
I mentioned it to my then girlfriend/now wife, who grew up in London. She laughed and set me straight. The suit didn't weight 400 pounds. It COST 400 pounds.
Ace @ Jul 30th 2008 10:53AM
Good thing he didn't hire a £600 prostitute or that might've really messed up the story.
But seriously...how can you be unaware of the British currency? And you could clear all the confusion by simply going metric.
Ah...good 'ol metric, your superiority is clearer day by day.
j.howlett @ Jul 30th 2008 11:26AM
that is a funny misunderstanding, thanks for the laugh. maybe i'll be able to return the favor.
Kristof @ Jul 30th 2008 11:30AM
I ... I had no idea currency came in metric form.
What?!
Ace @ Jul 30th 2008 11:46AM
@ Kristof
[jk]Yes, currencies are metric. It's based off of how high you can stack coins of standardized size. In the Europe we call the equivalent of $5 "15 centimeters".[/jk]
But no, the confusion of pound (lb) vs pound (£) could be cleared up by simply (lol) adopting the metric system.
Though...I guess it would be simpler to call the currency something else. Like scone, or crumpet maybe?
arrrgh @ Jul 30th 2008 11:47AM
It's the Canadian Dollar. ;)
LaughingTarget @ Jul 30th 2008 3:37PM
It's easy to confuse when they never use £ in the text. If all you see is "pounds" when discussing objects not clearly designated as values, anyone utilizing the Imperial measurement is likely to be confused.
If I said I have a 2,000 pound car, that could mean anything. Either it's a light car or it's a junky piece of crap for being so cheap.
Rizzo @ Jul 30th 2008 10:55AM
The '£' is for pounds sterling which is the currency in the UK.
Pounds sterling is twice as strong as the Dollar, now thats what im talking, put that in yo pipe n smoke US
knighty @ Jul 30th 2008 11:34AM
Yeah and we pay like $30 extra for our games. Go us.
And I'm pretty sure the whole £ thing was a joke *rolls eyes*
Maverick Saturn @ Jul 30th 2008 11:44AM
People ALWAYS find reasons to complain!
Kassu @ Jul 30th 2008 11:57AM
Makes me wonder - Who exactly ARE these people who actually complain about something like this.
Extreme Soccer Moms Inc?
JoeTheBlow @ Jul 30th 2008 3:54PM
More than likely its journalists trying to create a story to write about.
Looks like they failed, this is the first i've ever heard of this.
Great advert though.
Ethan @ Jul 30th 2008 1:51PM
I think it promotes an unhealthily thin body image to our youngsters.
Johnny Lasley @ Jul 31st 2008 9:02PM
I bet all seven guys had the first name Jack, last name of Thompson.