It was meant to promote fire safety but Fire and Rescue NSW has been forced to pull one of its TV ads after concerns it could encourage risky behaviour.
FRNSW took the ad off TV after the advertising standards watchdog upheld complaints that it could prompt children to copy unsafe behaviour.
The ad depicts a man kneeling over an electric heater with the word "Chance" emblazoned on his t-shirt.
As another man falls asleep on the couch, `Chance' turns socks on the heater with tongs, smiling and warming his hands when one catches fire.
A voiceover warns people not to leave anything to chance and displays a link to an online home fire safety audit.
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In a decision published this week the Advertising Standards Bureau found the ad had breached the code.
While it found the ad was not condoning unsafe behaviour the likelihood of copycat behaviour by children could potentially be quite high.
The decision comes after a viewer lodged a complaint with the bureau, arguing the ad was "potentially lethal".
"It is also irresponsible to show a man quite clearly enjoying setting fire to his socks on a dangerous electric fire," the viewer complained.
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) defended the advertisement saying it didn't target children.
However it said following the decision it had stopped running the ad and was in the process of modifying the ending.
