Who: The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and UAB Convenity t/a Huusk (Huusk)
Where: United Kingdom
When: 28 May 2025
Law stated as at: 9 July 2025
What happened:
An ad for Huusk’s Japanese kitchen knives was challenged after it was seen on the Sky Cinema Animation Channel following a “U” rated animated film. The three-minute ad showed several close-up shots of a knife being used to chop food and slice fruit. A man was seen spinning the knife in his hand, and then moving the knife in a slashing motion through the air. He was also seen throwing and slicing a pepper while it was in the air. Another scene showed the knife being used in a camping environment to cut sticks before being stuck into a tree branch. The knife was also shown as having been forcibly pushed into a tree trunk.
A voiceover, heard throughout the ad, said “A blend of science, art and tradition. With a design inspired by Japanese knife masters, each Huusk knife embodies more than just a tool. It’s a testament to individuality… amazingly sharp and ergonomically designed … effortlessly slicing food with ease and razor-sharp precision. Huusk cuts through ingredients like a laser … a knife that’s more than a tool, it’s a legacy for the future”.
The UK Code of Broadcasting Advertising (BCAP Code) states that relevant timing restrictions must be applied to ads that, through their content, might harm or distress children of particular ages or that are otherwise unsuitable for them.
The ad was cleared by Clearcast without an age-related scheduling restriction. Consequently, it was broadcast immediately following the “U” rated film “Hotel Transylvania Two”, meaning it was shown when children would likely have been watching.
While the ASA acknowledged that the aim of the ad was to promote the Huusk kitchen knife and showcase its performance and versatility, it considered that the ad should not have featured imagery and dialogue that risked children emulating the knife’s use in an unsafe way. Huusk acknowledged that it was responsible for the selection of time slots and TV channels. Clearcast also acknowledged that some of the scenes could undermine the efforts of parents and schools to educate about the dangers of knives.
The ASA considered that the ad depicted the knife being handled in such a way that went beyond the safe and typical use of a kitchen knife, such as a man spinning the knife on his hand, the knife being moved in ways that children would understand as being similar to a ninja, and the knife being forcibly stuck into a tree. In the ASA’s view, describing the knife as a “laser”, while showing it spinning on someone’s hand and slicing food, reflected exaggerated toy-like qualities that would resonate with children and potentially result in them being harmed if they emulated the behaviour. In contrast, the ASA felt that adults would have understood that the knife was being used in an unrealistic setting and would be unsafe to copy.
The ASA concluded that the ad should have been giving a timing restriction to minimise the risk of children seeing it. The scheduling was therefore irresponsible and breached the BCAP Code.
Why this matters: This ruling serves as a useful reminder that the wider context in which an ad is shown should always be considered. In this example, while the ad was intended to show the product’s quality, ease of use and versatility, showing it in a way that might appeal to children, directly after an animated “U” rated film, had an entirely different outcome. The ruling also shows that Clearcast does not always get it right, and an ex-kids restriction should have been applied.
