Please note the images in this story are graphic, which is why they were pulled in the first place. Probably safe for work, but still a bit icky.
Marketing can sometimes help TV shows to make a big splash. Over the past few months, we've learned that one Netflix show, Santa Clarita Diet, is a series about a zombie. In keeping with the theme, Netflix's German branch decided to advertise the show with a catchy finger dismembered and sliced up like a hotdog on billboards and other ad forums. The ads had to be pulled after people complained about the disgusting nature of the ads, and we can see why. You can check out one of the billboards, below.
The ad was a nod to the currywurst, a popular German food, but instead of an actual sausage, a finger and a sort of blood sauce were used to attract attention to Santa Clarita Diet. For some time the ads were put up on billboards, posters, bus stops and near trains in Berlin and elsewhere. However, after the German Advertising Standards Council heard more than 50 complaints about the ads, they took action and forced Netflix to pull the advertisement campaign. According to Der Tagesspiegel, Netflix responded quickly so that citizens would no longer have to look at the disturbing ads.
There were even pop-ups meant to attract notice for the TV show and featuring the really disgusting advertisement.
Berlin wasn't the only place the ads were housed, although so far it's the only place reporting a ban. This isn't the first time an ad has been banned somewhere in the world, either. Although oftentimes ads are banned due to obscene phrases or nudity, sometimes graphic ads have been known to be pulled from billboards and the like, as well. I can remember a particularly graphic ad for FX's The Strain that was also pulled after people complained. Honestly, I still get a little nauseous when I think about that ad, but if you have the stomach for it, you can check it out, too. In addition, you can also take a look at the 10 greatest banned TV posters of all time.
Santa Clarita Diet is currently streaming on Netflix. To find out what the subscription streaming service has coming up next, take a look at our Netflix premiere guide.
