Sega ‘frustrated’ by Change4Life ad

Sega has become the first major publisher to publicly criticise the Government’s new Change4Life print ad.

The offending campaign – which shows a young gamer holding a PlayStation controller under the words ‘Risk an early death, just do nothing’ – appeared in the national press this weekend.

It was first printed in the women’s lifestyle press last week.

Sega Europe president and COO Mike Hayes told MCV this morning:

Naturally we were very disappointed with the inference created within the Change4Life press advertisement. It remains a deep frustration that video gaming is selected to present a negative image of the UK’s children, youth, consumer at large and the industry.

Television, radio, cinema, listening to music, computing, video gaming and of course, reading all require a high element of passive participation, but of all these media types it is video gaming that provides the most potential interaction and activity. It seems that an advertisement has been put together by a poorly informed advertising agency.”

MCV has complained to the Advertising Standards Authority over the ad, on behalf of the industry. ELSPA has also criticised the promotion.