Car dealer's sexist ad has companion piece

On Tuesday, we wrote about all the hand-wringing that greeted a Canadian auto ad that compared women to used cars. "You know you're not the first. But do you really care?" the ad said, next to the image of a woman posing provocatively. The ad got ripped apart for being sexist. But it turns out the dealer, Dale Wurfel, ran a similar ad in the same Ontario paper the very next day with the same headline—this time featuring a man. Ah, the plot thickens. Men, it turns out, are a lot like used cars, too! Clearly, this complicates things, and makes it harder to moralize about the first execution (particularly since the second ad had clearly been produced before the scandal—not as a result of it). At the very least, it seems to level the playing field. Depending on your point of view, either we're all completely empowered, or we're all incorrigible sluts—or most likely, both! Of course, you'd need to run the ads side by side, rather than on successive days, to get this message of equality across most clearly. See both full ads after the jump. UPDATE: As mentioned in comments, the guy above does look kind of familiar.

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Filed under Automotive, Canada, Controversy
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McDonald's pulls spot for its too-young love

Intolerance Week continues on AdFreak, as we turn to the Philippines, where McDonald's, under pressure from Catholic leaders, has agreed to pull a TV commercial because it shows a young boy and girl having an innocent romance and almost holding hands. In the ad, the girl asks the boy if she is his girlfriend, to which he replies: "I'm not ready. Girlfriends are demanding. They want this, they want that." Eventually he relents when she says she just wants french fries. Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez condemned the ad for supposedly telling children that "it's all right to enter into courtship, and it could pave the way for the very young to be lax and carefree." Yes, heaven forbid kids enjoy their years free of emotionally crippling adult neuroses. Father Melvin Castro echoed Iñiguez's sentiments, claiming that the ad cheapens relationships. Not sure what they're so pious about, seeing as how they'll both surely burn in Hell for essentially forcing people to sympathize with McDonald's. On the plus side, at least the boy in the ad is firmly heterosexual, unlike the slappees in the Manwich campaign or the would-be transgendered boy with the pink toenails in the J. Crew ad.

Filed under Asia, Controversy, Kiefaber, McDonald's, Religion, Restaurants
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Zombie ad unwelcome next to funeral home

Clear Channel has been forced to apologize after placing a billboard for The Walking Dead right next to a funeral home in England. As is often the case with these types of stories (particularly ones from the U.K.), the quotes from people on the street are the best part. Susan Jones, a resident of a nearby hospice and thus apparently an expert on death, says: "There must be somewhere else they could put it that would have shown a degree of insight and sensitivity. … Emotions can be pretty raw when people are recently bereaved. Words like 'death' and 'dead' can be very difficult." (Imagine what the word undead does to a person!) Jones goes on: "If you encounter this just as you are going to the funeral service to make arrangements for a loved one, it could be upsetting. People of a certain age group could find it particularly challenging." A local councillor was also asked about it. He replied, stoically: "Some will be amused, others may be offended. It left me unmoved." Meanwhile, a spokesman for the funeral home called the whole thing "disappointing," and Clear Channel said it regrets the "unfortunate juxtaposition" and removed the ad right away.

Filed under Controversy, Death, Europe, Nudd
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Auto dealer's ad likens women to used cars

A Canadian car dealer isn't making many new female friends this week after running an ad suggesting his used vehicles are like women who've been around the block once or twice themselves. "You know you're not the first. But do you really care?" says Dale Wurfel's full-page ad in Ontario's London Free Press, showing a lady posing semi-provocatively. (See the full ad after the jump.) Sociological Images points out that the ad could be seen as progressive in its rejection of a sexual double standard—though of course it's a bit regressive in its likening of a woman to a pre-owned pile of junk you'll enjoy driving. This same concept has actually been tried before, in a (possibly spec) BMW ad from Greece, also posted after the jump. Via Work That Matters.

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Filed under Automotive, Canada, Controversy, Nudd
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Manwich ads yanked for slapping girly men

You can strike a man a thousand times in the crotch in your commercial for being a moron. But don't slap him in the face for being effeminate. That's the lesson learned by Leo Burnett in Toronto, whose trio of Manwhich ads (which we first saw on Adland) have been yanked from YouTube following complaints of homophobia. In each spot, a guy talks eagerly about something that typically excites women—his hair, the theater, shopping—and then gets slapped suddenly by a phantom hand. "It's called a Manwich," a manly voiceover then points out. The spots were getting lots of attention on YouTube last week, but ConAgra quickly pulled them after complaints. (A petition on Change.org argued: "Violence against gender non-conforming men and women is a serious problem in our country and should not be used for lazy jokes in advertising. Every year thousands of men and women are victims of hate crimes because of their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. This commercial series glorifies those crimes.") You may argue that it's just a little harmless slapstick humor—and that is what it's meant to be. But it's hard to deny these ads would be hard to watch by anyone who's suffered anti-gay bullying. Two more spots after the jump.

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Filed under Canada, Controversy, Food and drink, Leo Burnett, Manwich, Nudd
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'Dumb whore' song not great for clothing ad

This spot by Publicis Mojo for New Zealand clothing retailer Hallensteins pretty much fails on all fronts. Chiefly, it incurred the wrath of the country's ad watchdog because it uses a Sleigh Bells song in which the phrase "dumb whore" features prominently. (The lyrics are: "Deaf chords, dead ends, sling set can't meet their demands, dumb whores, best friends.") To make matters worse, the ad aired during a broadcast of the G-rated Princess Diaries 2. Publicis Mojo says it was supposed to air during a show called Motorway Patrol, and that the agency "obviously would not have placed the ad in Princess Dairies as it is not applicable to our target audience." The same could be said for Motorway Patrol, since hipster douchebags are the only friendly audience for Sleigh Bells, and I doubt they're watching either program.

Filed under Apparel, Controversy, Kiefaber, New Zealand
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Calvin Klein billboard secretly curses at you

Some eagle-eyed, right-thinking patriots in lower Manhattan have blown the lid off a subliminal advertising scandal. The offender is this Calvin Klein billboard at East Houston and Lafeyette, which sneakily spells out the word FUCK, if you look closely enough. The C and K are featured in the brand's logo, but you have to hunt a bit for the F and U (which is strange, since FU's usually fly around freely on the streets of New York). The table in the background forms the F. The bikini bottoms of the scantily clad heroin-chic model suggest the letter U. The threat's clear, people! I've long insisted that nefarious subliminal tactics and secret messages permeate mass media, but my colleagues here at AdFreak just laugh and tell me to take the tin foil off my head. Wake up, people! Stare at the six-pack abs of the Old Spice guy—preferably after consuming several six packs—and watch as they morph into the face of the evil one, ruler of the damned! That's right—Sarah Palin, with Isaiah's hunky pecs forming the horns! Play Beatles songs backwards, you'll hear the Rolling Stones! And if you squint and tilt your head at just the right angle, you just might notice some cleverly concealed female buttocks on this casino billboard in New Jersey.

Filed under Calvin Klein, Controversy, Fashion, Gianatasio
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Firefighter in 9/11 law-firm ad wasn't at 9/11

A law firm specializing in 9/11 lawsuits is feeling the heat today after the New York Post revealed that the firefighter in its latest "I was there" ad wasn't, actually, there at all. Firefighter Robert Keiley joined the FDNY in 2004, and was working as a model when he posed (above left) for what he thought would be an ordinary fire-prevention ad, the Post reports. His image was then Photoshopped to show him holding a photograph of one of the collapsed towers. The law firm, Worby Groner, blames the ad agency, Barker/DZP. Bizarrely, an account director there seems to have no regrets—saying the agency was within its rights to use the image because Keiley had signed a release. "It allows for use in ads, promotional usage, really anything you want," says Kim Tracey. Legal or not, it's ridiculous to use someone who wasn't at 9/11 in an ad that looks like a testimonial from someone who was—particularly given the sensitive nature of the topic. Keiley himself is furious. "I had friends who died on 9/11," he says. "How can I look their families in the eye if they see this picture, thinking I'm trying to make money on their [loved ones'] deaths? They'd probably think I'm a scumbag."

UPDATE: John Barker, president of Barker/DZP, released the following statement on Monday:

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Filed under 9/11, Barker/DZP, Controversy, Legal, Nudd
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'Pedobear' storms sex offender's coupon ad

Here's a bizarre little story. A Florida computer-repair business called CP Distributor is furious after a coupon-book publisher designed and printed an ad for the company featuring none other than Pedobear—the infamous cartoon bear known around the Internet as shorthand for pedophiles, perverts, child molesters, child-porn aficionados and the like. The Smoking Gun, which covers the case here, figures the designer must have been playing a joke on the company because of its name— "CP" being itself an oft-used acronym for child porn. The publisher, America's Favorite Coupon Book, isn't revealing the identity of the designer, but says it's a woman in her mid-40s who found the Pedobear art online and didn't realize the meaning attached to it. Her use of the image was "as innocent as it can be," the publisher asserts. If it was a joke, the designer picked an unfortunate company to mess with. One of CP's principals is said to be a convicted sex offender who spent seven years in jail for sexually assaulting a child under the age of 12. Speaking to TSG, that principal said he plans to have an ad in the coupon book's April edition, "but there will be no bear in it."

Filed under Controversy, Nudd, Pedobear
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Gay Ikea ad bothers Italy's Silvio Berlusconi

An Ikea ad with two men holding hands next to the headline "We are open to all families" hasn't caused much of a stir in Italy—except, it appears, in the prime minister's office. The horndog honcho Silvio Berlusconi, via his newspaper Il Giornale, is condemning the ad both for its gay-friendly content and its undertones of "Swedish imperialism" (whatever that is). Perhaps Berlusconi shares Zapp Brannigan's fear of neutrality. Thankfully, the staunchly Catholic isle of Sicily, where a new Ikea recently opened, has been more accepting of the Swedish retailer. The new store has created some 300 jobs and attracted more than 20,000 customers so far. Full ad after the jump.

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Filed under Controversy, Europe, Gay pride, Ikea, Kiefaber
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Detroit News regrets caving to its advertiser

The Detroit News got a pretty bad black eye yesterday, when Jalopnik reported that the paper had tried to appease a dealership by watering down a review of the Chrysler 200 — aka, Eminem's car from the Super Bowl ad shown below. The auto critic, Scott Burgess, had reportedly resigned over the issue, and now the newspaper's publisher says he regrets the entire incident. "Our intent was to make an editing improvement and we obviously handled it poorly," Publisher Jonathan Wolman wrote to Jalopnik. "We should have let the online version of his review stand as written, as we did the print version." According to two of the blog's sources within the newspaper, Burgess' scathing review was edited online after the paper received a call from an auto dealership that advertises with the News. Several lines were then removed from the online version, such as, "It's vastly improved, but that's only because it was so horrendous before." All in all, this is shaping up to be a bad month for Chrysler, who — through no fault of its own — keeps getting dragged into online controversies like last week's F-bomb tweet.

Filed under Chrysler, Controversy, Griner, Newspapers
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Aflac cans Gilbert Gottfried for Japan jokes

After more than a decade as the grating voice behind Aflac's web-footed mascot, comedian Gilbert Gottfried has been fired for making jokes on Twitter about the devastating Japanese tsunami. On Saturday, Gottfried reportedly posted a series of about a dozen tweets making light of the natural disaster. They include such zingers as: "Japan is really advanced. They don’t go to the beach. The beach comes to them.” (All his posts have since been deleted.) "Gilbert's recent comments about the crisis in Japan were lacking in humor and certainly do not represent the thoughts and feelings of anyone at Aflac," Chief Marketing Officer Michael Zuna said. "Aflac Japan — and by extension, Japan itself — is part of the Aflac family, and there is no place for anything but compassion and concern during these difficult times." It probably doesn't help Gottfried's case that Aflac does 75% of its business in Japan and had already pledged $1.2 million for recovery. Photo credit: Reuters.

Filed under Aflac, Celebrity endorsements, Controversy
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Chrysler throws down an F-bomb on Twitter

Whoever was manning Chrysler's official Twitter account on Wednesday morning apparently sucked down too much #TigerBlood before work. "I find it ironic that Detroit is known as the #motorcity and yet no one here knows how to fucking drive," the brand tweeted, much to the surprise of its nearly 8,000 followers. Turns out an employee from New Media Strategies sent out the R-rated tweet (having apparently just suffered through a difficult morning commute), and was promptly fired. Chrysler later apologized, saying: "Chrysler Group and its brands do not tolerate inappropriate language or behavior, and apologize to anyone who may have been offended by this communication." The profanity is one thing—but just as weird is how ludicrously at odds this tweet was with Chrysler's current brand messaging of celebrating Detroit, as seen in its Super Bowl spot with Eminem (who might have approved of the rogue message, actually). What do you think of this? Can any brand use profanity on Twitter—and if so, which brands and when? Via Jalopnik.
  UPDATE: Chrysler said Thursday that it has fired New Media Strategies (i.e., will not renew its contract when it's up), presumably because of this incident. Also, Chrysler has clarified on its blog that it did not request that the culpable NMS employee be fired—that was NMS's decision. But the automaker also makes it clear that the offending tweet was unacceptable. "Why were we so sensitive?" reads the post. "That commercial featuring the Chrysler 200, Eminem and the City of Detroit wasn't just an act of salesmanship. This company is committed to promoting Detroit and its hard-working people. The reaction to that commercial, the catchphrase 'imported from Detroit,' and the overall positive messages it sent has been volcanic. ... With so much goodwill built up over a very short time, we can’t afford to backslide now and jeopardize this progress."
  UPDATE 2: Pete Snyder, CEO of New Media Strategies, offers this statement: "New Media Strategies regrets this unfortunate incident. It certainly doesn't accurately reflect the overall high-quality work we have produced for Chrysler. We respect their decision and will work with them to ensure an effective transition of this business going forward."

Filed under Automotive, Chrysler, Controversy, Nudd, Social media, Twitter
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Kobe Bryant throws up an air ball for airline

Here's how to stir up controversy with the sizable and vocal Armenian American community in Los Angeles: Get cozy with the Turks. Kobe Bryant, the Lakers star, found this out when he signed a two-year deal to endorse Turkish Airlines. Protests, outrage and threatened boycotts (which never seemed to materialize) followed. Now, the first commercial launches, leaving a lot of people asking if this campaign is really worth all the hubbub it's caused. It's not even very good, and it's certainly not an original idea. Kobe and a chef-of-the-sky switch places and try each other's jobs. Yawn. (Is a short white guy getting pummeled on the basketball court always good for a laugh? Nope.) Bryant, a longtime pitchman in the U.S. and one of the NBA's most famous faces worldwide, couldn't possibly have needed the money. To make this dustup worthwhile will take something more substantial than the ad itself.

Filed under Airlines, Celebrity endorsements, Controversy, Kobe Bryant, Stanley
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Mom still angry about girl's anti-abortion ad

Tricia Fraser, the mother of the 6-year-old girl whose stock photo graced a controversial (and quickly yanked) anti-abortion billboard in New York last month, says she's furious that the group behind the ad, Texas-based Life Always, hasn't apologized for using the image. She's so mad, she's sharing her angry feelings with the media, allowing more pics of her daughter—including one with the girl's name emblazoned on her T-shirt!—to be widely disseminated. Ah, little Anissa Fraser—how hard your mother is working in tandem with the major media in an effort to keep you out of the public eye! Yes, that's a cynical take, but when it comes to maximizing exposure (while pretending to minimize it), Tricia Fraser looks like a pretty savvy player. I'm sorry, but no one forced her to take her kids to a modeling agency and sign an agreement allowing the photos to be used as stock images. That was her choice. By keeping this story going for another 15 minutes, Anissa could wind up with more work than her mom can complain about.

Filed under Abortion, Controversy, Gianatasio
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British boobs develop breast-milk ice cream

Ever wake up in the night with an insatiable craving for breast-milk ice cream? I do all the time, and I've been working on it in therapy. But maybe I'm not so crazy after all. Ice cream made from human breast milk has been selling for more than $20 a dish at the Icecreamists restaurant in London. They're calling it "Baby Gaga." According to the Daily Mail, "The recipe blends breast milk with Madagascan vanilla ponds and lemon zest." Sounds tasty. Plus: "A costumed Baby Gaga waitress serves the ice cream in a martini glass." I wouldn't have it any other way! Unfortunately, some milquetoasts (note the lactic wordplay) objected to this—and managed to get the stuff banned due to health concerns. Boo! The whole episode may seem distasteful, but it could be viewed as a wholesome step up by Icecreamists, last spotted promoting its supposedly libido-boosting Sex Pistol cocktail with ads featuring "Queens of Cream" squirted with chocolate and vanilla. Classy!

Filed under Controversy, Europe, Gianatasio, Ice cream, New products
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Clippers mistime ad for Black History Month

Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling is being taken to the woodshed for celebrating Black History Month during the team's home game tonight against Houston Rockets. February is Black History Month. You'll notice it's now March. But given Sterling's standing as a poster boy for racial intolerance and bigotry, I'm amazed he missed it by only two days. By all accounts, this meathead is about as racially progressive as Archie Bunker. This is a guy who paid $2.73 million in 2009 to settle a federal lawsuit that claimed he discriminated against blacks and Hispanics when renting apartments in L.A. He had settled a similar action six years earlier, and allegations of his racially demeaning remarks are legion. Plus, Sterling is an equal opportunity jerkwad whose record with women also stinks. He's been sued at least twice for sexual harassment; he allegedly solicited "hostesses" for private parties (one called working for him "dehumanizing); and he gave testimony in 2003 that he regularly paid a woman named Alexandra Castro $500 for sex, explaining, "If you are having sex with a woman you are paying for, you always call her honey because you can't remember her name." What a charmer. March, by the way, is Women's History Month. Sterling probably has a celebration planned for April.

Filed under Controversy, Gianatasio, NBA, Race
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Ogilvy sorry for promoting organ harvesting

Ad agency 1984, a unit of Ogilvy in South Africa (shouldn't it be a unit of TBWA?), has apologized for a controversial guerrilla campaign promoting a horror film called Night Drive. They made fliers for a fictional Dr. Uba, a member of the "Native African Healers Society," with copy promising that the good doctor will pay "the best prices for your body parts and organs." (The plot of the rather lame-sounding Night Drive involves the poaching of human body parts.) Sure, $230 apiece for testicles is tempting, especially if you don't plan on using both. Heck, that's better resale value than most Dell laptops! There were many clues that the whole thing was bogus. First of all, the phone number didn't work, and in my experience, testicle merchants are always on call. Also, the promise of "24-hour recovery" for such a procedure seems like a stretch—washing in "holy spiritual water" may speed healing, but if I'm losing a ball, I'd also like antibiotics and morphine, thanks. What's more, the ad solicits "rhino parts," which most folks wouldn't have lying around the house. (I keep mine in the garage.) Police apparently tried to track down Dr. Uba. I guess they weren't sure the ad was a joke. Maybe that's understandable, as the flier mentions tongue (worth $360!) but not cheek. Full flier after the jump. Via Adland.

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Filed under Africa, Controversy, Gianatasio, Health, Movies, Ogilvy
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Anti-abortion billboard really stirring the pot

The image: a black schoolgirl in a sundress. The location: a huge billboard in New York's SoHo district. The advertiser: Texas-based anti-abortion group Life Always. The copy: "The most dangerous place for an African American is in the womb." The predictable result: controversy. "It borders on racist, but all good people of conscience should be offended," says Brooklyn council member Leticia James. "It minimizes the emotions that young women have to go through when faced with this predicament." Life Always defends the ad, citing statistics that show African Americans account for 36 percent of U.S. abortions, although they make up 13 percent of the population. One of its board members, pastor Stephen Borden, ratchets up the rhetoric: "Our future is in jeopardy as a genocidal plot is carried out through abortion." Is this fear-mongering? Cheap scare tactics to capture the media and public's attention? The effort can certainly be interpreted that way. Ad strategy, of course, is strictly a matter of choice. And far be it from me to deny any group its right to choose. UPDATE: The mother of the girl pictured on the billboard wants it taken down. "I would never endorse something like that," says Tricia Fraser, the mother of 6-year-old Anissa Fraser. "Especially with my child's image." Fraser signed up with a modeling agency and had all four of her children photographed. She did sign a release form for the photos to be used as stock images. UPDATE 2: The company that owns the billboard, Lamar Advertising, has decided to take down the ad, according to reports. The Rev. Al Sharpton had planned to protest the billboard on Friday. He praised Lamar's decision.

Filed under Abortion, Controversy, Gianatasio
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Hacienda's Jonestown billboard snuffed out

Following a fairly predictable public outcry and drubbing in the press, Hacienda Mexican Restaurants is ending a two-week-old billboard campaign in Indiana that featured a red cocktail and the headline, "We're like a cult with better Kool-Aid." In case anyone missed the allusion to the 1978 mass-suicide tragedy at the Peoples Temple in Jonestown, Guyana—where the cyanide was actually served in Flavor-Aid—the Hacienda signs promised that the establishment's food is "To die for." A restaurant chain bold enough to associate itself with poison, misery and death? Yum, I'll have seconds! Client marketing chief Jeff Leslie explains: Our role is not to be controversial or even edgy. We want to be noticed—and there's a difference." He realized, a bit too late, that 33 years on is still too soon for this kind of humor. "It went the wrong direction, hit a nerve, and we have come to realize we should not have done this billboard," he says. They sure made themselves look like huge asses—about the size of this prodigious posterior in New Jersey.

Filed under Controversy, Food and drink, Gianatasio, Hacienda, Restaurants
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Diet Pepsi skinny can causes big fat ruckus

PepsiCo has stirred up a bit of a shitstorm with its new "skinny can" for Diet Pepsi, introduced during New York Fashion Week and made in "celebration of beautiful, confident women." Critics say the packaging just reinforces dangerous stereotypes that women must resemble beanpoles to be attractive. Possibly anticipating the outcry, the brand got Modern Family's Sofia Vergara, one of television's curviest stars, to model for the print ad shown here—but didn't do themselves any favors by making her almost unrecognizable. In any case, the solution is simple. Replace Vergara with Christina Hendricks, and add a head, arms, legs and a belly button to the can's logo—which will quickly reveal Pepsi's true love for the portly among us.

Filed under Controversy, Nudd, Packaging, Pepsi, Soda
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New Jersey flustered by giant butt billboard

Gigantic female buttocks, covered in beads, rising high into the sky and blocking out the sun? Sure, we've all had such daydreams. Yet such a moon has risen for real on a Resorts Casino Hotel billboard above the Atlantic City, N.J., train station. Ah, New Jersey: the Classy State! The sign, touting a Jazz Age-themed cabaret show called Moonshine Follies (Moonshine, get it? I don't) has caused a furor, with some folks demanding its removal. Perhaps they're worried the gorgeous glutes will get loose and swallow up cars on the nearby expressway. Stranger stuff has been known to happen in New Jersey. One detractor tells the local media: "I think it needs to be taken down." Absolutely! Take down what little covering those cheeks have and let them breathe a little! Now, who's joining me at the craps table?

Filed under Butts, Controversy, Gianatasio
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Will Crispin survive Tibet-gate at Groupon?

Groupon has wended its way through several of the stages of Kübler-Ross grieving process, finally arriving at acceptance that its Tibet ad just isn't going to fly. The company said yesterday that it would pull the ad, along with the others mocking celebrity-cause campaigns, in response to the overwhelmingly negative reaction after the Tibet spot aired during the Super Bowl. The move is a blow to the startup, which has been on a remarkable hot streak, and calls into question whether Crispin Porter + Bogusky will be next to get the boot. Groupon CEO Andrew Mason was involved in crafting the ads, I was told, and made an interesting statement regarding CP+B in his blog post about the company pulling the spots. "The execution was off," he wrote. He also made clear that Groupon employed "a professional ad agency." It's hard to see how this relationship gets repaired. There's equal responsibility here. Groupon went with CP+B because of its provocative campaigns. It's sowed seeds of controversy plenty of times previously, ranging from Orville Deadenbacher to Whopper Virgins. This was Groupon's first big ad campaign, so it's safe to assume it learned a valuable lesson. I'm told the company doesn't blame CP+B for the fiasco, but at the same time it's still figuring out whether they'll continue working together after what was, to be kind, a rough start.

Filed under Controversy, Crispin Porter, Groupon, Morrissey
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Creator of baby-rapist ad gets death threats

Can Super Bowl commercials—or any ads with violent content—make folks, particularly children, more angry and aggressive? Yes, they can, goddammit! So say the social advocates at the Riverview Center in Iowa, which prior to Sunday's game ran a Bingo-style newspaper ad asking readers to note violent (and/or anti-female) imagery in the ads. More notably, the print piece then brought attention to a year-old Riverview TV spot that's proven incendiary. In the ad, below, we're shown a white backdrop, as a voiceover and text begin: "He's tough. He's strong. He's aggressive. He's powerful. And ... he raped his girlfriend. But he wasn't always this way." The big reveal: a smiling baby, along with the question, "What are you teaching your son?" Riverview leader Josh Jasper says he's gotten death threats, including an e-mail suggesting he be "taken out and shot after a five-minute trial." Well, at least that shows respect for due process. Jasper wryly notes that the reaction to the spot seems to underscore the group's point. It's usually video games that have to deal with accusations that they promote real-world violence, but advertising is catching up. Oh baby, is it ever. Just ask HomeAway!

Filed under Controversy, Domestic violence, Gianatasio, PSAs
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8 things to know about Groupon's 'Tibet' ad

Three days after the Super Bowl, Groupon's tone-deaf "Tibet" ad with Timothy Hutton continues to prove less palatable than salted Himalayan yak-butter tea. Our YouTube analysis found it to be the least-liked ad of the game. But that doesn't mean we can't find a few silver linings. Below are eight tidbits of trivia to mull over, which may, or may not, change your opinion of the ad.

  1. The spot (one of four in the larger campaign), created by Crispin Porter + Bogusky, was directed by mockumentary icon Christopher Guest, whose track record with big-league ads is not so hot.
  2. Groupon CEO Andrew Mason says the ads are not meant to trivialize global activism but to "highlight the often trivial nature of stuff on Groupon when juxtaposed against bigger world issues, making fun of Groupon. Why make fun of ourselves? Because it's different—ads are traditionally about shameless self promotion, and we've always strived to have a more honest and respectful conversation with our customers."
  3. One of the other ads in the series, "Whales," with Cuba Gooding Jr., is actually quite funny.
  4. The third ad in the series, "Rainforest," isn't funny, but does feature Elizabeth Hurley's vagina as a punch line.
  5. There's a fourth spot on the way starring Sheryl Crow. And hopefully not her vagina.
  6. The ads have the support of related nonprofits like Greenpeace, Save the Rainforest and The Tibet Fund, and Groupon has fundraising widgets for each on its "Save the Money" landing page. Groupon will match up to $100,000 in donations, totaling as much as $200,000 for each nonprofit.
  7. On that note, The Tibet Fund said it was "delighted" to be approached as part of the ad, but the group acknowledges the spot's critics. "Whether you agree with Groupon's creative choices," The Tibet Fund's site notes, "the goal of the campaign is to raise awareness and funds to help Tibetan refugees who are struggling with the very real problem of survival outside their homeland."
  8. The fish curry from the restaurant featured in the ad isn't necessarily amazing, but "the flavors are well balanced, its spiciness a loud presence without being an overburden."

Filed under Controversy, Crispin Porter, Griner, Groupon, Super Bowl
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