Research – Ethics/Pulled Adverts

Banned Commericals and Adverts.

Ethics in Advertising

Note: The following speech was written by Chris Moore of Ogilvy & Mather to help liven up what can be a bland topic. While it has been edited by the AEF and contains basic information about topics we have found to be of interest to students, you will want to use your own words and examples where possible.

An ethical brainteaser we deal with every day is: “What can you legitimately simulate to illustrate the truth?” Before you answer “nothing!”, ask yourself if a Higher Purpose would be served if Pampers and Kotex commercials showed the real thing instead of that fake blue water.

For a company trying to sell something, an ad is like getting a job interview with millions of people all at once. The ad wants to make a good first impression and really, really doesn’t want to make people mad. But different people react differently.

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A violent video game advert has been banned from London Underground.

Advertising watchdogs said the advert, which shows a wrecked car next to a burning tyre, was “irresponsible” and likely to encourage violence and dangerous driving.

The advert was for the world’s biggest games maker, Electronic Arts’ Burnout Dominator.

The advert included the headline “Inner peace through outer violence”.

It comes a week after censors banned another game, Manhunt2, from hitting the market.

EA said the advert’s message was that playing the Burnout Dominator game might relieve stress and tension in real life.

But, in its ruling, the Advertising Standards Authority said: “We considered that the vivid depiction of the crashed car and burning tyre, combined with the slogans implication that people could achieve inner peace through acts of violence, was likely to cause serious or widespread offence.

“We noted Electronic Arts argument that the ad’s message was that playing the Burnout Dominator game might relieve stress and tension in real life.

“We considered the ad’s placement on the London Underground meant that it would be viewed by many, including young people.

“We considered that the images of a car that seemed to have crashed at high speed and a burning tyre, together with a reference to violence, could be seen to condone a violent lifestyle, anti-social behaviour or dangerous driving. We concluded that the ad was irresponsible.”

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Paddy Power has launched an advertising campaign for its new bingo site paddypowerbingo. One of the ads – ‘breast feeding man’ has been censored by various advertisers including London underground, Adshel (bus and train shelters) and Dublin Bus.

As a spokesman for Paddypower bingo put it: “What kind of a crazy world do we live in where poking fun at man boobs is seen as distasteful? Does that mean man boobs are tasteful??”

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Puma – According to Puma, in a statement issued at the time of the release of these adverts in 2003, they were spoofs created by an unknown person.

Dolce & Gabbana – This advert was pulled by the fashion label Dolce & Gabbana following accusations in several countries that it glamourised violence against women.

BenQ – This advert by the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, BenQ, was withdrawn from circulation in China following objections to its choice of background imagery. The advert, which appears to show a youth emerging from the rubble of the World Trade Centre on September 11 2001, was considered to be “offensive”, and the slogan “I belive, music makes hope” not thought a sufficiently sensitive response to the events of that day.

Gay Ireland – This advert promoting Gay Ireland magazine drew a number of complaints (including death threats) when it appeared on billboards.

Auto Trader – The billboard advertisement, displaying the website address http://www.AUTOTRADER.co.nz, showed two dogs peering from a muddy vehicle. A large caption read: WE’VE GOT RIDES FOR DIRTY BITCHES.

Aprilia – The Italian motorcycle company Aprilia withdrew this advert following complaints from the Women’s Institute of Spain, whose advertising monitoring wing considered it to be sexist. Translation: “The Arrecife Range: Now several sizes smaller”

Smint – The use of the text “Need fresh Air?” has a double meaning and emphasizes the irony. The proposal was rejected by the client, Malaco Leaf.

 

Auto Trader – The billboard advertisement, displaying the website address http://www.AUTOTRADER.co.nz, showed two dogs peering from a muddy vehicle. A large caption read: WE’VE GOT RIDES FOR DIRTY BITCHES.

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Photo made available Friday March 11, 2005, by French fashion designer Marithe Francois Girbaud, shows the advertising poster inspired by “the Last Supper” of Leonardo Da Vinci which was banned by the Paris court, Thursday March 10, 2005 . The Italian city of Milan banned the same poster early in February as a parody of a key event in Christian history. The Last Supper depicts Christ’s farewell to his disciples. A Paris court ordered the French fashion house late on Thursday to take down the posters within three days because they offended Roman Catholics.(AP Photo/Brigitte Neidermair)

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British authorities have ordered a company advertising a nasal spray that promises longer-lasting sex to take down 196 billboards. The ads break U.K. law, according to the Guardian, because a medical prescription is required to obtain the spray. Drugs are banned from being advertised in Britain.

The campaign was also the subject of complaints from the public because the ads consisted of a massive headline that said, “WANT LONGER LASTING SEX?” The Advertising Standards Authority received 458 complaints about them from the public.

The company advertising the unnamed spray, the Advanced Medical Institute, had initially resisted calls to remove the boards. The company said:

Due to the unprecedented level of complaints and negative media coverage around our billboards in the UK, and because our focus is on helping men with premature ejaculation and erectile disfunction, and not on public rows with the ASA, we have instructed that the billboards be removed as soon as possible.

We do believe that our position is legally defensible but we take a common sense approach to these issues and would rather focus on providing the help that can change the lives of the hundreds of thousands of men suffering from these issues, rather than on responding to continued debate through the media.

Paddy Power – Ireland – Banned as “the betting odds referred to each woman’s chances of either being knocked down by the truck were offensive and demeaned older people”

Energizer – Chile – Rejected by the client

NO2ID – UK – Most Complained as “the barcode on Tony Blair’s upper lip made him resemble Hitler, which was offensive”

Department of Health – UK – Banned as it can “frighten and distress children”

Six Feet Under TV Series – UK – Banned as they were “offensive, shocking and likely to cause undue distress”

Russian Finance Magazine – RUSSIA – Banned for being “immoral”

Tom Ford – USA – Most Complained as “it was sexually explicit”

Towers Anti-Smoking Campaign – CHINA – Rejected as “inappropriate”