Tekhan wrote:
I feel the Gvt’s, “visuals” are quite offensive at times. Like the campaign with people with a hook in their mouths… No matter what your views on smoking – as an image – its violent – and if it was being used by a company to promote a product or film, it would surely be banned.
there is a long standing tradition and acceptance of using quite violent/harrowing imagery (beyond what would normally be acceptable by regulators/censors) for media intended to warn the public of hazards as opposed to commercial adverts or drama..
anyone here in their late 20s or 30s probably remembers some fairly scary public information films on childrens TV. There wasn’t loads of blood but they did show the consequences of stuff like trespassing in the electric substation (Jimmmmy!!), or on the railway tracks
and the Chinese were doing this years ago..
http://www.railwayanapage.com/images/pmr_enamel.jpg
the (rather superfluous) text apparently says “one man died, as he was not careful of the trains.”
perhaps the second guy on the cow-catcher survived, albeit somewhat bruised and battered – and related his story to the railway company which was the inspiration for the sign – (as well as in future years giving inspiration to Jackie Chan and his team of scriptwriters..:laugh_at:)
incidentally this directive to put the warnings on cig packets comes from the UN World Health Organisation rather than just London, it is more aimed (like the old Chinese sign) at people who may have less literacy skills.
most people nowadays know not to get in the way of moving trains – but the hazards from smoking are less obvious..
