Demi Lovato’s team will need to rethink their marketing strategy after a poster promoting her new album was banned for in the U.K. for being “likely to cause serious offence [sic] to Christians.”
The Advertising Standards Authority in Britain banned the poster promoting Lovato’s album Holy FVCK after receiving complaints from four members of the public. The poster featured an image of the album cover under the headline “HOLY FVCK” and showed Lovato sprawled across a large cushioned crucifix in a leather bondage–style outfit.
The ASA stated that both the language and imagery used were likely to cause serious offense, breaching the U.K.’s code for non–broadcast advertising. Polydor Records, a division of Universal Music Group, argued that the posters primarily included the artwork from the singer’s album and denied that they were offensive.
The ASA disagreed.
Lovato’s eighth studio album, released in August, is a deeply personal work that deals with her difficult past, including her drug and alcohol addiction. The album was created while Lovato was sober, and she talked on the Sprout Podcast about the pride she feels about that accomplishment.
