Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, GM
GM caves on robot suicide ad, changes ending
We're not going to spend any considerable amount of time on this, since we are pretty exasperated by this whole ordeal (judging by the comments, apparently you are too).GM has decided to "modify" their Robot ad after a complaint from the Foundation for Suicide Prevention deemed the spot unsympathetic to those who are plagued with depression. Any reference to suicide will be removed, along with the end sequence where our robotic protagonist leaps off a bridge.
The foundation has said that GM has been cooperative in the matter, which is a strong about face, considering Mark LaNeve was adamant that no changes would be made.
Sadly, the removal of "All By Myself" will not be forthcoming.
Thanks for the tip, TGM3.
[Source: Fox Sports]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
bernie 4:29PM (2/09/2007)
It never ceases to amaze me how many things GM can manage to screw up. Does anyone have any balls at GM?
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jscro 4:30PM (2/09/2007)
Lame.
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STEG 4:38PM (2/09/2007)
If people commit suicide because of this advertisement then all the better. Anyone who is so depressed that a comedic GM ad sends them over the edge should have committed suicide a long time ago.
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D Man 4:38PM (2/09/2007)
People are dying in the streets, kids are uneducated and hungry and this is what gets people's attention. A good reflection of the world we live in. P.S. GM makes crappy vehicles anyways!
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Lithous 4:45PM (2/09/2007)
What if his little metal a55 rolled up to the entrance of the suicide prevention building instead of jumping before he woke up, I wonder if they would have complained?
Maybe they souldn't be called The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the word suicide reminds people who are depressed about "suicide". "Man, I feel depressed. I'll look in the yellow pages for some help. Here's some companies that can help me... wait, 'suicide', didn't think of that. Hmmm". Why not call themselves The American Foundation for Stopping Certain Specific Unmentioned Things From Happening.
As interesting as it was it still (as others have mentioned) has the "layoff" message in it, the work at fast food if you lose your job message and probably 30 other things that someone out there is offended by but GM just can't afford to offend right now.
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Matt 4:48PM (2/09/2007)
If you contemplate suicide after a humorous car add, then you deserve to die. Sorry, but there's just nothing else to say.
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JAG 4:49PM (2/09/2007)
WOW!! I share the same sentiments as 1,2,3,4 Where are we going? We are becoming a bunch of wimpies afraid of maybe we are somehow offending someone. Ooops, I just offended somebody with this comment and I am going to be deleted. C U
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Drewboy 4:49PM (2/09/2007)
At least I have my copy of this ad saved on DVR. It was definitely one of my favorite Superbowl ads!
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Mike 5:02PM (2/09/2007)
The RAG (Robot Actors Guild) is really pissed at GM for cutting some of the best footage robots have made since !
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Brian 5:02PM (2/09/2007)
Well, NOW I'm depressed.
Good job, AFSP.
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beken 5:11PM (2/09/2007)
Hey! My Buick committed suicide (yes really...it just died...no engine codes or anything) last week. I thought the ad portrayed GM as they are.....
I better be careful...I might have offended somebody just by saying something on this blog.
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Rob 5:22PM (2/09/2007)
What are things coming too? That was one of the top two ads that were shown in the super bowl.
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mk 5:23PM (2/09/2007)
Welcome to the consequenses of Political Correctness.
Tyranny of the minority (or even the individual) that weilds influence over everyone else. Case and point with making GM afraid of this complaint. Like an elephant being scared of a mouse.
Hope everyone is enjoying the sled-ride down the slippery slope! :D
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Barney 5:34PM (2/09/2007)
I can see all the sensitivity here. The role reversal is to make up for those who lost their livelihood to the robots. Is GMC attempting to convince the audience that they are now hiring people to replace the robot? Just what was the point of this ad? I wonder if Chrysler will have ads for the staff laid off, once they start closing plants.
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Tim UF 5:39PM (2/09/2007)
damn, wagoner, grow a PAIR! OR AT LEAST ONE!
not a lot of backbone from a company that makes big manly trucks... or something...
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Carlos 5:43PM (2/09/2007)
I felt that actually seeing the poor thing jumped decreased my enjoyment of ad, and that it would've been more fun with a different ending.
But this controversy is silly. I've been there, but I don't see how it's a dangerous ad. It was also the only GM Superbowl ad that was any good. (So was the old one with the 6 year old in a Corvette... the complaints against that one were even more absurd.)
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NoNameDenton 5:47PM (2/09/2007)
That is lme, caving in because a whiney group of people are too stupid to realize no one is dumb enoough to commit suicide because of a television ad
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Tim 5:58PM (2/09/2007)
DEESSE LUGNUTS!
Everyone Lutz and his robot have GUTS. Check out this article. Saturn just signed a $200 million contract to the geniuses behind this add. thats balls
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_07/b4021080.htm?chan=search
Sad thing is Detroit has some of the highest unemployment in the country and leads the nation in foreclosures. The AD guys were from LA so go figure.
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/02/0206_foreclosures/index_01.htm
The add was at the very least poorly executed. It wasn't clear why he got fired.
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naif 5:59PM (2/09/2007)
GM has been sucidal for 30+ years, this add is most reasonable for GM.
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JSB 6:16PM (2/09/2007)
This commercial was titled "Nightmare", it was a dream, no robots died in the making of this commercial. People need to get over their namby-pamby selves. It was good commercial, it showed the emphasis that GM is putting on maintaining quality in building their cars. It is entertainment, if you don't like it, change the channel or just look away.
The USA deserves better than bunch of damn crybabies.
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