The BBC has defended its latest promotional campaign for digital TV following 400 complaints from viewers, who said it was "absolutely horrible" and made their skin crawl.

Promotions have been broadcast on BBC TV channels in recent weeks featuring a giant animated head made up of hundreds of moving faces that bounce over a hillside and morph into familiar BBC presenters such as John Simpson.

"I was having my dinner when the advert came on and it was all I could do to keep my food down," said one. "The images actually made my skin crawl."

"It is absolutely horrible and neither I nor my partner can bear to watch it," said another.

"I don't know which is the worse, the scrofulous head or the decapitated heads bouncing across the landscape. The voice also sounds as though there is phlegm in the throat. It is so disgusting that I simply can't watch it."

The BBC said it "regretted" the fact that some viewers did not like the promos. But it said the campaign - called "Faces" - was "designed to inspire people to get the corporation's extra services".

"Of course we regret that some viewers don't like our latest trails for digital television," the BBC said in a statement on its complaints website.

"It uses innovative animation and eye-catching imagery to engage viewers. It is designed to be upbeat with cheerful music."

But viewers complained that the campaign was confusing and a waste of licence fee payers' money.

"Why not have Terry Wogan, Jonathan Ross or Moira Stewart explain in a nice, simple way what you need and when you need to do it by?" asked one.

"The only disturbing thing is the vast amount of money the BBC has spent and continues to spend at the prompting of the government to get us all to switch to digital. This must be the fourth of fifth separate campaign. It is money that should have been spent on programming."

According to the BBC, the ads had been "fully cleared through ... standard compliance", and had not been scheduled near children's programmes.

"Eventually everyone in the UK will need to go digital in order to continue to watch television because of [digital] switchover, so it is important that the BBC continues to put this message across," the corporation said.

The animated campaign is the latest in a series of high-concept BBC promotions for digital TV.

An earlier ad campaign featured BBC TV personalities including Simpson, football pundit Alan Hansen and the Tweenies ripping off their faces to reveal other personalities underneath.

That didn't go down well with some viewers either. "It's got to the stage where I'm finding it virtually impossible to sit opposite someone and not imagine them ripping their face off to reveal Simpson's endearing features. No, no more. Please. Stop it," urged one.

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