"You’ll feel right at home" (MFI)

217 complaints

ASA verdict - Upheld

What the ASA said:

This TV campaign by MFI focussed on the theme “you’ll feel right at home”. The series of five TV commercials featured heated domestic arguments between various family members that turn out to be within the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom showrooms of an MFI store. Despite the ads having an ex-kids restriction, viewers complained that the ads were shocking, offensive and disturbing and were irresponsible for suggesting that arguing and shouting were normal features of home life.

We felt that viewers would understand that raised voices and disagreements occur in many domestic situations. However we upheld complaints about one of the ads, where a woman slaps her husband across the face twice as punishment for leaving the toilet seat up, on the grounds that it was likely to cause serious or widespread offence and could be seen to condone violence.