‘Probably no God’ advert
The advertising watchdog has ruled that a controversial atheist ad campaign, which provoked a reaction from some Christian groups for proclaiming ‘There is probably no God’, did not break its code.
Campaigners Christian Voice complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) arguing that the atheist bus campaign, which ran the strapline: ‘There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life’, broke the advertising code on the grounds of substantiation and truthfulness.
However, the watchdog said that the British Humanist Association’s campaign did not breach the advertising code or mislead consumers and that it therefore would not launch an investigation.
The ASA council concluded that the ad was an expression of the advertiser’s opinion: ‘The ASA acknowledges that the content of the ad would be at odds with the beliefs of many, it concluded that it was unlikely to mislead or to cause serious or widespread offence.’
