# Save the Children mailshot banned

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2006/10/12/save-children-mailshot-banned/
- Published: 2006-10-12T23:00:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

A mailshot for Save the Children (SCF) has been banned by the Advertising Standards
Authority (ASA) after it received complaints that it implied that children with 
brown eyes might die young.
The mailing, designed by Proximity, comprised a leaflet
and an envelope which showed the close-up of the eyes of a child of African origin
and text on the front that said: If you have brown eyes, you’re more likely to die
young. The same message was repeated on the back of the envelope with a close-up
of the eyes of a child of Asian origin. The leaflet inside carried the message: 
Most children born with brown eyes are born in the world’s poorest countries, detailed
the plight of children in African and Asia and asked for a donation of £3 a month.

Complainants were concerned the envelope might be seen by children who did not understand
the full message of the mailing and thought the text was likely to cause undue fear
and distress to children.

SCF said the mailing was intended to educate recipients about the numbers of children
dying in pooer countries each year and it had not intended to shock or distress.

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