This Camila Cabello "Havana" ad was banned for being too scary

19 October 2018, 13:01

Spotify's "killer songs you can't resist" advert was pulled from UK TV after it caused distress to a child.

Camila Cabello's hit song 'Havana' is an absolute bop - that's something we can all agree on, no debate about it. But Spotify's advert promoting the song is not receiving the same overwhelming reaction, because it's now been banned in the UK for being too scary.

According to Billboard, the ad, which was promoting "killer songs you can't resist" has been banned following a complaint that it caused distress to a child, and was shown on a channel that children were likely to watch. The ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) decided to ban it saying in the ruling: “The fact that the ad was set inside a home, including a bedtime setting, and featured a doll, meant it was particularly likely to cause distress to children who saw it.”

In the ad, a group of friends is haunted by this terrifying creepy eyeless doll every time Camila's 'Havana' blasts through the speakers. Because the song is an undeniable bop that the group can't stop listening to, the terrifying doll pops up whenever they play it - in the bathroom mirror, at night when they're in bed... It's quite literally a "killer song" no one can resist.

Spotify acknowledged the ban and a spokesperson said: "We acknowledge the ruling from the ASA and regret any distress the ad may have caused the complainant. It was created as a tongue-in-cheek horror parody – intended to be a humorous ad that demonstrated just how catchy some tracks can be. We take our responsibilities as a marketer very seriously and continue to be mindful of the ASA's guidance on the effective and appropriate targeting of advertising campaigns."

To be quite honest, the advert isn't even that scary. But the funniest thing about all of this? Camila herself is actually terrified of scary movies...