Pot Noodle advert 'caused offence'

The advert was shown after 9pm but still caused offence

A television commercial for Pot Noodle which attracted more than 300 complaints has been deemed "offensive" by the TV regulator.

The Independent Television Commission, (ITC) says viewers were offended by the language in the advert, which described Pot Noodle as the "slag of all snacks".

The advert was restricted to an advertising slot after the 2100 watershed, but the ITC said the word "slag" was unsuitable for broadcast at any time in an advert.

The advertising campaign has since been changed to use a different slogan.

A huge number of complaints early into the TV campaign led to the ITC ruling it should not be shown until after the watershed, but viewers continued to be upset by the language.

Sexual innuendo

Research by broadcasting bodies found that viewers do not want to see bad language in TV ads at all, and that a majority of women find the word "slag" offensive.

In its report, the ITC said: "A term capable of causing such offence among viewers was not suitable for transmission at any time."

The ITC also upheld complaints about sexual innuendo in the ads being screened before the 2100 watershed.

A campaign for Hula Hoops Shoks, in which electric eels were emerging from taps and toilets, was another to prompt a flood of complaints.

There were 133 complaints from viewers, many of whom said their children had nightmares or had wet the bed after seeing them.

The ITC ruled it was unsuitable to screen the adverts before 1900 when children were more likely to be watching TV.