WARNING: This article contains the offending image

An advertising campaign for Wellington Paranormal featuring an image of a "demonic-looking" girl has been found to have breached advertising standards.

Following a complaint made in July, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled the mugshot-style poster, used to promote the comedy television series, had breached a basic advertising principle – that all ads be prepared with a due sense of social responsibility..

SUPPLIED A poster advertising campaign for television series Wellington Paranormal, created by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, has been found to have breached advertising standards.

The poster campaign, which ran in Wellington and Christchurch, consisted of three images, including the one of the possessed girl, with the programme's scheduling details at the bottom of the poster.

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The complaint was made by a C. Robertson, who first saw the poster on Willis St in Wellington, while with a young child.

TVNZ As part of the Wellington Paranormal advertising campaign, street posters, designed to look like classic wanted posters, were rolled out publicly however, the image of a possessed girl, left, was ruled to be "confronting to children" by the Advertising Standards Authority.

"My [four-year-old] son was terrified by the picture and covered his eyes on the journey home in case he saw it again," Robertson said. "He is now too scared to sleep at night ... For young children this is a very frightening poster, and advertisers need to be mindful of the wide audience a street poster will have."

The ASA agreed, stating the image would be "confronting" to children who did not understand the humorous context. The Complaints Board, however, did not uphold Robertson's concerns on the basis of fear, accepting the intent of the advertiser, TVNZ', was not to scare but to be humourous.

"She is not threatening or violent in the image. Her teeth, eyes and hands point to her being from the "paranormal realm" but are not in themselves socially irresponsible in their depiction. This image when alongside that of the police officers and the other rather sad looking vampire clearly signals the comedic intent of the images," TVNZ said in response to the complaint.

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The organisation acknowledged the image could be confronting for children and ordered the removal of any outstanding billstickers immediately.

Wellington Paranormal is the latest television spinoff created by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, after the success of their 2014 horror comedy film What We Do In The Shadows.

The advertising campaign ended on July 15, meaning further action wasn't required and the ASA considered the complaint settled.