Exclusive: Man whose uncle died in 2017 disaster describes ad for pain relief gel Voltarol as ‘insulting’ Grenfell Tower has been edited out of a TV advert in a move described as “insulting” by a family bereaved by the June 2017 disaster. Karim Mussilhy, whose uncle Hesham Rahman was among 72 people who died as a result of the fire, noticed the edit while watching the Channel 4 streaming service on Monday when an advert for the pain relief gel Voltarol showed people playing football on the Westway football pitches close to the council block ..read more

Rules governing political campaigning on terrestrial television don’t apply to streaming or online – and parties are starting to play dirty One of my favourite jokes in The Simpsons concerns the unhinged nature of US political advertising. “Mayor Quimby supports revolving-door prisons,” a growly voice narrates over footage of exactly what you imagine. “Mayor Quimby even released Sideshow Bob, a man twice convicted of attempted murder.” And then, a final disclosure at a noticeably faster pace: “Vote Sideshow Bob for Mayor.” This was a great joke – but it wasn’t entirely a joke. The real revolvi ..read more

Exclusive: ITV is considering taking paid ads from parties on its streaming platform where ban does not apply Some viewers are already irritated by the adverts interrupting shows on the ITV catchup service. But they could soon yearn for the halcyon days of shampoo or insurance commercials after being presented with the faces of Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer. ITV is considering taking paid ads from political parties for the first time during the upcoming general election thanks to a loophole in broadcasting law ..read more

Scientists say an overreliance on sight and sound is having a detrimental effect on people’s wellbeing and that our devices should deliver a multisensory experience “Wait a minute, wait a minute. You ain’t heard nothing yet.” So went the first line of audible dialogue in a feature film, 1927’s The Jazz Singer. It was one of the first times that mass media had conveyed the sight and sound of a scene together, and the audience was enthralled. There have been improvements since: black and white has become colour, frame rates and resolutions have increased and sound quality has improved, but the m ..read more

Former American footballer and actor who was acquitted of the murder of his former wife, Nicole Brown, and her companion, Ron Goldman, in the 1995 ‘trial of the century’ On the American football field, OJ Simpson ran around, past and through defenders with almost unmatched success. “The Juice” had legendary status, as both a collegian and a pro. Undeniably handsome and charismatic, he appeared in films and on TV, and was known in the US for a Hertz television commercial in which he sprinted through an airport, hurdling all obstacles ..read more

Viewers’ association accuses Amica Chips of resorting to blasphemy in order to increase sales An Italian TV advert that depicts nuns eating crisps instead of altar bread while receiving holy communion has been accused of blasphemy by an outraged association of Catholic TV viewers. The 30-second advert for Amica Chips – one of Italy’s top crisps brands – takes place in a monastery and opens with nuns preparing to receive holy communion. Their mother superior realises that the tabernacle is empty of hosts, and so fills it with crisps ..read more

Watchdog warns cosmetic surgery providers abroad as analysis reveals thousands of Facebook adverts A post on Instagram shows the back of a woman in tight blue leggings, her lower body taking up most of the frame. The words “Temptingly sexy curves ahead … Ready to turn heads and break hearts?” are written in the caption. It is from a company offering Britons the chance to get a Brazilian butt lift while enjoying a luxury holiday abroad. The advert is one of thousands on social media promoting cosmetic surgery tourism by companies in Turkey to UK residents, including gastric band operations, hai ..read more

Sponsored video promoted low-calorie diet without encouraging users to take medical advice, regulator rules A post on Katie Price’s Instagram account has been banned by the UK’s advertising regulator for irresponsibly encouraging a low-calorie diet, while simultaneously failing to disclose it was an advert and making unauthorised weight loss claims. The Instagram reel, a video shared on the model’s account in August 2023, depicts her making meals throughout the day and talking about her efforts to lose weight while repeatedly promoting the Skinny Food Co line of low-calorie meals ..read more

ASA says sneering bank manager character wrongly suggests building society has not closed any branches Adverts featuring the actor Dominic West as a sneering bank manager will be pulled from TV in their current form after the advertising watchdog ruled they were misleading because they wrongly suggest that the building society had not closed branches. The Advertising Standards Authority (Asa) received 281 complaints, including one from rival lender Santander, about the advert, which ran in October and November. The Nationwide campaign took a swipe at high street banks that have been closing br ..read more

Clubs and bookmakers have set their own restrictions as campaigners await a decision on a proposed ban Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast Just minutes after the first bounce in a round one AFL game, families watching on free-to-air television were exposed to more than 70 gambling ads – and all before 8pm. The fluorescent ads for gambling giant Tabcorp were splashed on digital billboards, despite the company previously declaring there was “too much advertising” and that change was necessary to protec ..read more