A TV ad created by Bono’s One charity to highlight the famine in Africa has been refused clearance to air because of its political nature.

The minute-long spot features celebrities including George Clooney and Colin Farrell all apparently mouthing an F-word before their remark is censored.  But the word is not a swear word but ‘famine’.

'The F Word: Famine is the Real Obscenity' was created for One’s ‘Hungry No More’ campaign against hunger in Africa.
A spokeswoman for Clearcast, the company responsible for the pre-transmission examination and clearance of television adverts, said the film could be in breach of rules laid down by the 2003 Communications Act.

Political advertising prohibited

She said: “We have been unable to clear this ad to date as we believe it is currently in breach of the BCAP Code. This imposes a blanket prohibition on ‘political’ advertising on television.

“If an advertiser or an ad appears to be in breach of these provisions, neither Clearcast nor BCAP have any discretion in the matter of approval.

“These rules ensure that ads aren’t being broadcast by bodies whose objects are wholly or mainly political. One appears to be caught by this rule as they state that part of their raison d’etre is to pressure political leaders.

“It also appears that a number of the claims made in the version of the ad that we have seen are directed towards a political end, which is again against the rules.”

One: 'Wrong and absurd'

Adrian Lovett, Europe director of One, said: “We think it is completely wrong and absurd that this advert has been banned from TV in the UK. One is not a political party and we have no political affiliation.  We recognise the purpose of the broadcasting code is to keep political propaganda off British television, but our ad highlights the desperate plight of 750,000 people in east Africa who the UN warns could die before the end of the year.

"Unless we keep the spotlight on this crisis and the need for urgent action, those people will be forgotten. Who can object to that message? We are challenging this decision and hope the broadcasters will reconsider.”

Ad 'not banned'

The Clearcast spokeswoman added that the ad is not banned, and “we are in discussions with One to see if there is any way that the apparent legal hurdles can be overcome and the ad cleared”.

“We have asked One to provide us with further information should they feel their advert is not in fact in breach of these regulations and await their response.”

Any broadcaster that carries an advert in breach of the rules on political advertising faces potential statutory sanction by Ofcom which could include a fine or revocation of licence.

Clearcast is owned by six of the UK’s largest commercial broadcasters.