Amidst severe criticism, a leaflet advertisement for Club Fire, a nightclub in Ipswich depicting the late Pope John Paul II, beer bottle in hand and dancing in the company of a blonde beauty - has been banned. The woman in the advertisement is shown wearing a short blue dress.
The flyer was branded as offensive by the Advertising Standards Authority and was ordered to be pulled off following a complaint by ISCRE (Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality) which was representing Catholics and Poles angered by the image on the leaflet.
The leaflet had been designed to promote ‘Berserk’, a night of partying at the Ipswich nightclub. The secretary of Ipswich Polish Club, Sheila Soltysik, had this to say about the advert: "It is unfortunate that the thoughtless actions of a marketing idea has created dismay amongst the Polish community and Catholic religion by depicting figures of high moral standards amongst ideas of inappropriate behaviour and surroundings.” She went on term the advertisement “deeply upsetting” for a “majority of sensible people."
The advert was produced by an agency named Waped Ltd for Club Fire, which has desisted from commenting on the issue.
- myVox