Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Volkswagen
Aw Snap! VW decides to pull suicide ad, too
Though Dan Roth has traditionally written our posts covering the controversy over these suicide-laden commercials, I'm taking this one. Right now Mr. Roth is pulling his hair out and beseeching his infant child never to buy a Volkwagen from those wussy Germans. Yes, no sooner had we published Dan's post in which he praises VW for refusing to pull its "Jumper" commercial, the German giant went ahead and backed down, announcing it would pull the spot at the request of advocacy groups.
Though GM and now Volkswagen have lost Dan's respect, they are getting mad attention on the internet where these banned commercials have attracted a cult following. The GM robot suicide commercial is now widely circulated in its original form on YouTube. The VW spot, however, was quickly yanked from the video sharing site (it used to reside here). No doubt it will show up again within the next ten minutes.
[Source: The Detroit News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Tim UF 10:32AM (2/16/2007)
Apparently, automotive marketing execs have spines about the consistency of an over cooked noodle.
Political Correctness will ruin us all.
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Tal 11:08AM (2/16/2007)
GM and VW , run your ads.
The world is TOO serious. Too many people, too many "groups" have too many flags they want to fly for too many weasel ass causes.
#1 is right.."political CORRECTNESS" will kill us all.
No one will be able to joke about anything in this country for fear of offending a person or group of weasels.
I have NO problem or qualms if I tell someone to go f...themselves...I'm dammed tired of these weasel ass little shits that are offended by the least off color statements about anything.
You're going to need some standup individuals to fight for this country's freedom on our homefront one day and you f.....g little weasels are not going to be the ones doing the fighting... you're going to be the same little shiftless shits you have always been moaning and crying that someone is going to be hurt. So stick your flag where the sun dosen't shine on your body weasels!
GM and VW , run your ads.
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Mike 11:09AM (2/16/2007)
I agree 100% Tim, this country is going down hill fast. Too many people cant take a joke these days.
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PhillipT 11:21AM (2/16/2007)
Political correctiveness is why our greatest candidate for govener, Kinky Friedman didnt win, he wasnt politically correct enough.
Political correctiveness is going to ruin the world.
GM, put it back up!!!
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James B. 11:23AM (2/16/2007)
Dammit! What kind of bland, politically correct crap are we embracing here?
Jim
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Christine 11:27AM (2/16/2007)
'Though GM and now Volkswagen have lost Dan's respect, they are getting mad attention on the internet where these banned commercials have attracted a cult following.'
'Mad' Attention? LOL.
I say, run the ads. GET OVER IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Thunder 11:31AM (2/16/2007)
Uh, why do you think they're really creating and pulling these commercials? I think they totally expect them to be controversial, and when they are they pull them and get tons more publicity then they ever could with a regular ad because everybody's scrambling to see what it is they missed. As a 'bonus' they also get to look "responsive to public opinion". It's a PR game and so far they're doing a pretty good job at it.
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Frank 11:38AM (2/16/2007)
I agree with all of the above statements. It's getting pretty bad, no more freedom of speech just keep your mouth shut if you can't be pc. Pisses me off.
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bernie 11:57AM (2/16/2007)
This just proves that there are gutless wimps in the executive offices on both sides of the Atlantic.
I hope they lose their jobs over it.
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Alain 11:57AM (2/16/2007)
This is another sad testament to the power of the small, but vocal limp-wristed pansies over the majority. People who even consider suicide are selfish, boorish bastards, whose self-extrication from the gene pool may ultimately benefit humanity. If you're going to feel sorry about yourself, accept the scorn you're dealt.
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mk 12:20PM (2/16/2007)
At what point do the american people collectively stand up and say with one voice: "ENOUGH!"
And why haven't we reached that point yet? I agree. Political Correctness is poison. And probably more insidious and invasive than most people admit.
Any issue that PC touches gets turned to trash. The even worse version of the Midas touch.
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ellerton 12:32PM (2/16/2007)
I think these were good ads. I hate political correctness, but from a PR standpoing, if a large public interest group comes out and asks you to do something because they are offended, you pretty much have to do it. The bad press associated with not removing them is not worth running the ads further.
That said, I hate political correctness and everyone needs to chill the F out
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JC3 12:40PM (2/16/2007)
Suicide doesn't sell cars.If it did you'd see the ads.Most people just find it tacky.
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Rocket Punch 1:23PM (2/16/2007)
For every America destorying crazy people, there will always be 10 Lawyer who will gladly facilitate their craziness.
When the next big coment hits the earth, there will always be 4 things left that refuses to go extinct.
-Cockroaches
-People who said Cockroaches are deatroying the world.
-Lawyers that help them sue the Cockroaches and,
-Chinese take out place which stays open no matter what.
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roGer 1:29PM (2/16/2007)
Commercial is here:
http://www.adforum.com/affiliates/EvS/051/ad_detail2.asp?ID=6693670&tdi=VD1WKAGERs
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roadside observer 1:45PM (2/16/2007)
Score another one for the over-sensitive, crybaby whiner political-correctness loser crowd.
This country has turned into a nation of pantywaisted whimps. Damn, people, grow up and grow a spine.
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potato_tree 2:14PM (2/16/2007)
someone should make a commercial where the guy in charge of making the suicide commercial kills himself because he worked so hard on it, and the company wouldn't show it.
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beken 2:15PM (2/16/2007)
"-Cockroaches
-People who said Cockroaches are deatroying the world.
-Lawyers that help them sue the Cockroaches and,
-Chinese take out place which stays open no matter what."
Being of Chinese descent, I think you should take back that those comments about the cockroaches. Cockroaches all over the world are offended by such comments.
...just joking.
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Howard Kerr 5:18PM (2/16/2007)
I have to wonder how many folks would be posting positive comments here if GM and VW came out with ads that showed kids in black and with barely concealed guns pulling up to high schools in 'Vettes or Jettas. How about a commercial where a body is found with a gun in hand and the suicide note says that "unable to afford a new _______, life's not worth living."
I find it incredible that so many here DON'T think these ads are offensive, but get all bent out of shape when Brand X or Brand Y "kicks sand" in the face of their beloved ride.
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Phil 5:44PM (2/16/2007)
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
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