Thumbs down to ‘middle finger’ health campaign in New Zealand

Hepatitis C awareness ads that feature smiling actors raising their middle fingers are deemed too offensive to be aired

A New Zealand health campaign designed to help curb hepatitis C has hit a stumbling block after one of its advertisements showing people raising the middle finger was deemed too offensive to air.

The associate health minister, Ayesha Verrall, launched the Stick it to Hep C" campaign in July, to raise awareness over the virus, which kills roughly 200 New Zealanders a year.