MAGNUM LICKED OVER DEADLY SINS ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN

In response to pressure from religious groups, Magnum, South Africa's largest hand-held ice-cream brand, has backed down on its Seven Deadly Sins advertising campaign. Magnum marketing manager, Kerren Janssen, said yesterday the company would "reinvent" the campaign, taking consumer objections into account but retaining its "tongue-in-cheek approach to ice-cream as an irresistible temptation". Due to be launched at the end of the month, the offending campaign has been postponed. Three of the products have already been released on to the market under the slogan "Discover new ways to sin..every sin a limited edition". Analysts estimate that yielding to public pressure on the advertising campaign could cost the company millions. In Australia the campaign boosted overall sales for the company by 60%.