Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint on behalf of The Evangelical Alliance against spread-betting operator Sporting Index, regarding the firm’s advert featuring a digitally altered image of Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer statue.

The advert – which was graphically altered to show the statue holding a bottle of booze in its right hand and with its left arm around a bikini-clad model alongside the caption “There’s a more exciting side to Brazil!” – was found to breach three sections of the ASA’s code.

Following the ruling, which was published today on the ASA’s website, Dr Dave Landrum, director of advocacy for The Evangelical Alliance, said: “We are grateful that the ASA has upheld the alliance’s view on behalf of Christians everywhere.

“This advertisement was in poor taste and clearly likely to cause offence. Even so, the expressions of incredulity from City AM [where the advertisement was published on 10 June] and Sporting Index at the complaints illustrate a patent failure to grasp why such mockery and disfigurement of the person of Christ should be deemed offensive at all.”

“Such religious illiteracy and lack of respect for faith communities in the UK is concerning. Despite some assumptions that society would become ever more secular, it is now clear that this is not happening and that faith will play an increasingly important role in British society.

“We hope the ASA decision will encourage businesses to think twice before seeking to exploit religious images and sentiments for financial gain.”