The Advertising Standards Authority has issued a warning to advertisers to be sensitive to Christians in their Easter promotions.

The religious nature of Easter can sometimes be overlooked by retailers and brands in their seasonal promotions but for Christians, however, it is the holiest time of the year when they commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus and celebrate His resurrection. 

In a reminder sent to advertisers, the ASA acknowledges that marketers may want to use Easter as a "cultural point of reference" to engage consumers but cautions that they should be aware of religious sensitivities.

The ASA said marketers were permitted to use religious language and imagery in advertisements but only provided these were "not mocking or disrespectful". 

It was "important to exercise caution" and promote products in a way that still respects people's faith and beliefs, the ASA said. 

It also reminded marketers that "public sensitivities and prevailing standards" are taken into consideration when deciding whether an advert has used religion "in a way that has crossed a line in terms of being offensive or inappropriate". 

It calls on brands to "carefully consider" the tone of their adverts and consider conducting research beforehand to establish whether there is a risk of causing "serious or widespread offence" to people of faith. 

"Easter is a holiday that holds religious significance, particularly for those of the Christian faith," the ASA said.

"It is also a cultural point of reference that marketers may use to engage consumers. Given the sensitivities surrounding people's religious beliefs, marketers must take care not to cause serious or widespread offence when using religious references in their campaigns in or around Easter."

As an example of an inappropriate advert, it cited one online betting site that ran an Easter promotion using cartoon-style imagery of blood dripping from a nail-pierced hand alongside the slogans "nailed on bonus", "dearly departed JC" and "sacrilecious [sic] bonus".

In 2016, the ASA upheld complaints that the advert was offensive and mocked Christianity at an important time of the year for Christians. In its assessment, the ASA said that the ad was likely to cause serious offence and  that it was therefore in breach of the Advertising Standards Code.

On the other hand, an advert by a different company in which Jesus was depicted wearing a bunny costume was found to be acceptable by the ASA because the marketers argued that the image was intended to highlight the commercialisation of Easter at the expense of the original Christian meaning of the festival. 

In its latest guidance, the ASA continued: "While humour can sometimes help to reduce the likelihood of causing serious or widespread offence, the line when it comes to religion can often be very thin.

"You should therefore tread carefully and bear in mind that just because something might be considered funny by some – it will nevertheless be problematic if it offends a particular group."

It added: "So, keep in mind that whilst Easter ads can be fun and entertaining, they must also be responsible."