Aug. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Ford Motor Co., the world's second biggest carmaker, has had a television commercial for its Land Rover brand banned by the U.K. communications regulator after it was judged to ``normalize'' the use of guns.

The advertisement, which featured a woman brandishing a gun later revealed to be a starting pistol, breached the Advertising Standards Code and must not be shown again, Ofcom said in an e- mailed statement. The regulator received 348 complaints against the ad, many concerned that the commercial glamorized guns and made it ``appear that guns are fun and cool.''

Carmakers in the U.K. often come to the attention of regulators for their portrayal of speed in ads, which the advertising code says must not ``encourage or condone fast or irresponsible driving.'' Ford's Land Rover division did not immediately comment on the ban.

Ofcom said glamorization is ``part and parcel'' of the advertising process but this commercial ``normalized'' gun ownership in a domestic setting. The pistol, fired by the woman into the air as a man got into his car, was used in ``an apparent casual manner and just for fun,'' Ofcom said.

The large number of complaints compares with 427 against an ad for Virgin Mobile Holdings Plc, the highest number Ofcom received this year. Earlier this month, the regulator dismissed the complaints against Virgin Mobile's ad, which portrayed a young man being helped to urinate by an attendant at a urinal.

To contact the reporter on this story: Peter Gotting in London at pgotting@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: August 31, 2004 07:55 EDT