Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Ad Pulled for Inappropriate Sexual Assault Humor

A live-action advertisement for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has been banned from airing again in the UK after the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) determined it “trivialized sexual violence.”

For years, Activision has promoted its Call of Duty: Black Ops series with humorous live-action ads featuring “Replacers” who take over people’s jobs or lives so they can enjoy the latest installment. In the case of Black Ops 7, the company continued this trend with new Replacer ads, including one set in an airport featuring actors Peter Stormare and Nikki Glaser as security personnel. This particular ad drew the ire of the ASA.

In the airport scene, the Replacers are shown roughly handling a passenger at a security checkpoint. Stormare’s character informs the man that he has been “randomly selected to be manhandled.” Glaser’s character dons blue gloves and instructs the passenger to remove all his clothing, then adds, “Time for the puppet show.” The ad concludes with the passenger having a metal detector shoved into his mouth, with the Replacer telling him to “bite down” as they prepare to go “in dry.” The ad remains available on YouTube.

Initially, the ad was approved for UK airing, deemed a “deliberately implausible, parodic scenario” that did not reflect real airport security practices. It was classified as “Ex-Kid,” meaning it would not be shown alongside programming aimed at viewers under 16.

On February 18, the ASA reported receiving nine complaints about the ad, asserting it trivialized sexual violence. After reviewing the content, the ASA concluded that while many viewers might perceive it as humorous, the humor stemmed from the humiliation and implied threat of painful, non-consensual acts, which are associated with sexual violence.

The ASA stated, “Because the ad alluded to non-consensual penetration and framed it as an entertaining scenario, we considered that the ad trivialized sexual violence and was therefore irresponsible and offensive.” Consequently, the ad must be revised to eliminate any references to sexual violence before it can be broadcast again in the UK. The ASA also advised Activision Blizzard to ensure that future advertisements are “socially responsible and do not cause serious offense, for example by trivializing sexual violence.”

In response, Activision maintained that the ad was intended for a mature audience, asserting that adults typically have a higher tolerance for irreverent or exaggerated humor.