Gaming app ad on Facebook taken down for domestic violence
A Facebook advertisement for a mobile gaming app by Betta Games has been removed after it was found to be in breach of Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) Code of Ethics (the Code), “Advertising shall not present or portray violence unless it is justifiable in the context of the product or service advertised”.
The advertisement – which could not be located by Mumbrella – featured a woman with a baby using a broom. A man holding a wine bottle comes into the room and trips over a dustpan left out by the woman. The woman goes to help the man but he pushes her away, then stands over her in a threatening manner. The woman with the baby then leave. The advertisement ends with gameplay from the advertised app.
It is not clear which gaming app the complaints are for, as Betta Games produces several. One of the other Facebook ads that it is currently running, as of 27 January, can be seen below, which is not the advertisement that was found to be in breach. The Facebook ad was posted by the Facebook page “Love Diary: Cube Matching Game”, although the spot ends with the title card of “Mansion Story”. The Page was initially called “Redecor-Mansion Story” before it was changed to its most recent title on 16 April 2021.
