No Zombies Allowed In Ireland Before 7pm

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Irish TV Watchdog Orders Zombies To Stay Dead Until

Dublin, Ireland - Ireland's national TV station was ordered to hold back an advertisement featuring disintegrating Zombies until after the watershed viewing time of 9pm when most children are asleep.

The Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCC) watchdog ruled the ad for an energy drink infringed advertising codes, in particular the general principle that a commercial should be "decent."

The ad features images of break-dancing Zombies whose limbs fall off and whose eyeballs pop out.

The watchdog said the images were particularly graphic and children could be frightened.

"If one did not understand the humour of the advertisement, or even recognize that it was supposed to be humorous, the tone could be menacing and scary," the BCC said.

The RTE state broadcaster said viewers called to complain and, as a result, the ad was restricted to broadcasting after 7pm.

Lucozade said the commercial was designed to be quirky and light-hearted, and had received a positive response.

The Zombie characters were a renowned movie metaphor for those who were "un-energetic" and "lifeless" -- and they would feel revitalized by drinking Lucozade, the company said.

Showing the ads after 7pm was agreed with RTE, while they would be shown later, after 9pm, on channels in the United Kingdom, Lucozade said.

Zombies being raised from the dead by voodoo priests are part of Caribbean folklore.