An online life insurance ad featuring the face of dead serial killer Harold Shipman has caused offence to some people.
The advert for Leicester-based DeadHappy appeared on some Facebook feeds showing the former GP, dubbed 'Dr Death', and the words: "Life insurance. Because you never know who your doctor might be."
Shipman committed suicide in Wakefield Prison in 2004, aged 57, having been convicted and sentenced to life for murdering 15 elderly patients four years earlier. Overall, he was accused of killing hundreds of elderly and vulnerable patients in northern England over two decades.
Those offended by the ad include Kathryn Knowles, founder of insurance broker Cura, who said she has logged an official complaint to the Financial Conduct Authority, the City regulator, and the 海角视频 advertising watchdog, ASA.
She said: 鈥淭here is a firm that is promoting life insurance using the picture of a mass murderer to promote their services.
鈥淚 will name neither as I won't give them the satisfaction of popping up in more search results. Please know that many of us in insurance find this beyond despicable.
"I would hope the FCA and ASA would take action on this. I would like to lodge a formal complaint to both over this advert and will provide a copy to them.
鈥淚t鈥檚 disgraceful.鈥
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) watchdog said it was reviewing complaints about the ad.
In a statement Andy Knott, founder of DeadHappy, said: 鈥淲e're not simply disruptive, we鈥檙e just trying to make better products in order to close the gap. We are called DeadHappy and our strapline is 鈥楲ife insurance to die for鈥 so we are aware of the provocative (and to some the very shocking) nature of our brand.
鈥淏ut being provocative is different to being offensive and it is of course never our intention to offend or upset people. It is our intention to make people stop and think.
鈥淚f however you have been personally distressed by this advert we do sincerely apologise.鈥
鈥淒eath is still a taboo subject in our society, which is why we feel so passionately about 'changing attitudes to death'. We do take risks with our brand and sometimes we may step over the line, whatever or wherever that line may be, and whoever chooses to draw it."
It is not the first time the company has been in trouble.
In late 2019 an ad featuring an image of a man leaning his head against a wall and the strapline 鈥淟ife insurance to die for鈥 was banned for trivialising suicide.
A viewer who believed the ad was alluding to depression and male youth suicide complained that it was irresponsible and offensive.
Dead Happy said it took mental health 鈥渧ery seriously鈥.
Upholding the complaint, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it was 鈥渃oncerned鈥 about the image of the man, who was alone with his back to the audience, and ruled that the ad must not appear again.
