Phones 4U mobile phone Jesus advert banned
A mobile phone advertisement featuring an illustration of Jesus winking and giving a thumbs-up has been banned.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the Phones 4U advertisement was "disrespectful" to the Christian faith and must not be used again.
It investigated after receiving 98 complaints about the ad.
The company said it had not meant to show disrespect, but intended showing "a light-hearted, positive and contemporary image of Christianity."
The advertisement appeared on 21 April this year, just before Easter.
The ASA said the complaints had cited the cartoon depiction of Christ and the Sacred Heart, the use of the term "miraculous" for describing a mobile phone deal, and the fact that it was published on Maundy Thursday.
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Idiocracy was not a roadmap.
