The British Heart Foundation’s 2002 UK press ad showed a woman with a polythene bag over her head.
Created by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO for British Heart Week, the advertisement used the image to convey the severe breathlessness associated with heart failure. Its headline read “I’ve got heart failure”, linking the disturbing photograph to the charity’s public-health message.
The campaign prompted widespread complaints. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ultimately upheld 315 complaints and ruled that the advertisement could not run again unless children could be prevented from seeing it.
History
Created by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO for British Heart Week, the advertisement used the image to convey the severe breathlessness associated with heart failure. Its headline read “I’ve got heart failure”, linking the disturbing photograph to the charity’s public-health message.
History
The campaign prompted widespread complaints. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ultimately upheld 315 complaints and ruled that the advertisement could not run again unless children could be prevented from seeing it.
Significance
The advertisement became the most complained-about campaign recorded in the ASA’s 2002 annual report. Although its imagery was intended to communicate the experience of heart failure, the regulator concluded that children might imitate the dangerous act depicted.
The ruling distinguished between justified shock advertising and unacceptable safety risks. The ASA did not reject the charity’s use of disturbing imagery outright, but restricted where the advertisement could appear, making it a notable case in British advertising regulation.
Launch and Press Placement
- The advertisement launched during British Heart Week in June 2002 and was appearing in selected newspapers by the weekend preceding 13 June.
- The campaign used national press and magazines, including publications with substantial readership among people aged over 45.
- Its precise first insertion date and complete placement schedule have not been established.
Response and Complaint Totals
- By 13 June, the ASA had received more than 70 complaints, while the BHF reported more than 100 complaint calls and more than 8,000 information requests.
- The interim complaint total had reached 238 when the ASA decision was reported on 19 June.
- The ASA Annual Report 2002 recorded the final total as 315 upheld complaints.
ASA Ruling and Restriction
- The ASA did not uphold the objection that the shocking or distressing approach was unjustified for a heart-failure awareness campaign.
- It upheld the safety objection because media accessible to children could encourage imitation, and the small-print warning was considered inadequate.
- The BHF was instructed not to repeat the advertisement unless its placement ensured that children would not see it.
Key facts
**Associated With:** British Heart Foundation - advertiser and commissioning charity; Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO - creative agency; Betty McBride - senior charity executive responsible for the campaign
**Defining Feature:** A woman pictured with a transparent polythene bag over her head to evoke severe breathlessness
**Status:** Preserved - reproduced in the ASA Annual Report 2002
Associated With
British Heart Foundation - advertiser and commissioning charity; Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO - creative agency; Betty McBride - senior charity executive responsible for the campaign
Defining Feature
A woman pictured with a transparent polythene bag over her head to evoke severe breathlessness
Status
Preserved - reproduced in the ASA Annual Report 2002
- **Image 1** — Image: Retro AdArchives / Alamy — Image ID EXPYYH. Used under an individual editorial licence.
- **Image 2**
- **Image 3**
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Caption
Complete “Plastic Bag” (a descriptive archive nickname) heart-failure advertisement, pairing the central portrait with explanatory copy and British Heart Foundation branding.
Displayed for commentary and research. Fair dealing under the UK CDPA 1988 applies only where its conditions are met. No permission for reuse is granted.
Caption
Guardian article showing the British Heart Foundation’s heart-failure advertisement and reporting on complaints about it.
Displayed for commentary and research. Fair dealing under the UK CDPA 1988 applies only where its conditions are met. No permission for reuse is granted.
Caption
The ASA’s official 2002 complaints summary lists the BHF advertisement first, with 315 complaints and the ruling upheld.
