Transport for London has banned yet another poster for a West End play on the London Underground – this time because it violated ‘graffiti’ guidelines.
After the number of five-star reviews increased for the WWII-inspired Operation Mincemeat, the in-house designers decided to issue a new set of posters at a cost of £1,200 with the old number crossed out and a new one added.
However, TfL ruled that the new design looked too much like graffiti and refused to display the poster, despite it being accepted everywhere else.
It comes after an advert for the show Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding was taken down last month because it featured a Victoria sponge cake.
In response to the TfL’s decision, a spokesperson for Operation Mincemeat has said: ‘It is of course complete nonsense and belittling to the public’s intelligence, who can obviously tell graffiti from printing!
A look at the Operation Mincemeat poster which was banned by the TfL for resembling graffiti
After the number of five-star reviews went up for the West End play, the design team decided to issue a new set of posters with the old number crossed out and a new one added
‘Not to mention inflicting unnecessary and damaging costs on redesigns for a show that, while receiving now 64 five-star reviews, has come from small beginnings and doesn’t have the vast resources of a Hamilton or Book of Mormon at a tiny theatre like the Fortune Theatre.’
On Twitter people were quick to share their anger and confusion at the decision to take down the advert.
One social media user joked how ridiculous it was for the TfL to class the poster as ‘graffiti’ when it had the ‘same colour scheme as the rest of the poster’ and was ‘entirely localised behind the plastic of the display’.
Another added: ‘Pretty sure people would have realised when the passed numerous ones on the same escalator that were exactly the same.
‘But after the wedding cake debacle I’m not sure TfL credits it’s passengers with that much common sense!’
A third also complained: ‘TfL need to get over themselves there is no difference just no words. Ooooh I am going to graffiti a poster with the same colour/font.’
Social media users were quick to share their outrage at the TfL’s decision to ban Operation Mincemeat’s new set of posters
A look at the wedding cake poster for Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding which was also banned by TfL bosses
When producers for Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding created a poster of the two main characters standing on top of a two-tier wedding cake, they spent nearly £20,000 on their marketing campaign and printed 200 posters.
However, TfL bosses deemed it promoted ‘the consumption of high fat, salt and sugar foods’ and did not comply with the organisation’s advertising policy.
Despite appealing against the decision, the show’s producers were forced to spend another £5,000 on a new ad campaign with the cake removed.
Earlier this year, the TfL was widely criticised again for a number of adverts which readers described as having ‘poor taste’.
One advert intending to promote a skiing instructor service asked readers if they enjoy ‘face shots’.
The top half of the poster has ‘face shot’ in large, bold letters and a description of the phrase below: ‘The effect of fresh snow spraying one’s face when skiing in deep snow.’
The skiing instructor is said to know the ‘best face spot shots on the mountain’.
However, Romsey and Southampton North MP Caroline Nokes tweeted that ‘we all know what the other reference is…’
Prior to this, TfL also faced backlash over an advert that promoted going to Turkey for cosmetic surgery.
The Mayor of London and Chair of Transport for London Sadiq Khan speaks on stage at Gay Pride on July 1
TfL, under control of Mr Khan, was criticised by UK dentists for displaying advertisements urging Britons to head overseas for cosmetic dental treatment
This controversial poster on a London tube service is intended to advertise a skiing instructor service
TfL ran advertisements for Istanbul-based dental clinic Dentakay, which offers the ‘Hollywood smile’ treatment.
The controversial dental procedure, made popular by stars such as Katie Price and Love Island’s Jack Fincham, involves filing down natural teeth to pegs and then replacing them with crowns or veneers.
A debate broke out about the implications of encouraging cosmetic surgery, especially one that numerous Britons said left them in pain and suffering from complications after having the treatment abroad.
Operation Mincemeat, which explores the true story of a twisted secret mission that helped the Allies to win World War II, is in theatres until November 4.
It follows The Woman In Black’s 33 year run at the Fortune Theatre.
