BBC "Faces" campaign withdrawn after more than 1300 complaints

They defended it for a long time, the infamous faces advert for digital TV, but the BBC has been forced to withdraw the advert with the creepy head, made up of lots of smaller heads. At the end of November it had only received 400 complaints, but now that number has climbed to 1,300 complaints.

A spokesman for the BBC is trying to save face - heh - by stating that the trailer had simply "finished slightly early", after it "achieved its goal".

The BBC's own website is witness to how much people were genuinly creeped out by the image - comments include:

"As a registered psychotherapist, I wish to protest that this image is disturbingly psychotic. Its unacknowledged aggression could make a fragile viewer ill".
Another entry reads: "I was having my dinner when the advert came on and it was all I could do to keep my food down. The images actually made my skin crawl."

To see the creepy ass flying head, just point your browser here: Visit4info - "BBC Digital TV - Heads ". (Quicktime)

Sources: BBC defends 'digital face' trails November 23
BBC drops 'digital face' trails December 12
Freelance UK: "BBC digital ad 'too scary for children'" Nov 25, 2005
"New “Terrifying” BBC Advert’s Face Still More Attractive Than My Own" December 2

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AnonymousCoward's picture

where do i send my complaint. That advert is sick.

AnonymousCoward's picture

What exactly is the "unacknowledged agression?" And how do I get some?

silver3's picture

I wish I'd been the head that was the nose booger.

AnonymousCoward's picture

Weird. Kind of cool. Good CGI.

(Link is bad. Visit4info moved the commercial. Have to do a search on their site.)

AnonymousCoward's picture

It's even more disturbing as a still picture. MAKE IT GO AWAY.

What is it with the BBC and creepy self-promotion lately?

RLDavies's picture

This trailer featured in the satirical show "Time Trumpet" by Armando Iannucci last night (17 Aug 2006, on BBC2). "Time Trumpet" purports to be set in 2137, looking back at the early years of the 21st century.

Apparently the trailer aroused fresh controversy around the year 2008, when excavations revealed 2000 headless corpses buried behind BBC Television Centre. A spokesman said, "As far as we can tell, the animator just went insane and filmed it all live."

Dabitch's picture

*rotflmao*!!!

that is awesome. love it.

RLDavies's picture

Found it on:
http://www.visit4info.com/Restricted.cfm?id=28051&Redirect=www.visit4inf...

You have to be a registered member of Visit4info to see it.

Jesse's picture

I've seen this exactly, while high on 5 tabs of lsd .