The TV ad, created by Anomoly, aired in April and featured young boys and girls playing football in a large stadium full of spectators.
During the match, one of the footballers turns away and spits. The ad ends with the text: "Imagine reliving the greatest games… Sony Internet TV".
Fifty-six viewers complained about the ad. Most of them believed the shot of the child spitting was offensive. Some viewers argued that the ad risked people emulating anti-social behaviour, as it glamorised the act of spitting.
Responding to the criticism, Sony UK said it regretted any offence caused by the ad and would consider such matters about future campaigns.
The company added that it was not its intention to glamorise spitting, but to poke fun of one of the less attractive aspects of football.
Clearcast, which vets TV ads before airing, said it was surprised by the number of complaints it received.
Furthermore, Clearcast argued that context was everything. The TV ad was about dreams and the youngsters sought to behave like their heroes, who sometimes spat.
The Advertising Standards Association (ASA) noted the Clearcast and Sony responses and decided not to ban the ad, despite nothing that it could be viewed as distasteful to some.
In particular, it ruled that as the spitting was in the context of a football match in which footballers clear their throats after physical exertion, it was unlikely to cause offence.
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