Was Snickers right to pull Mr T ad?
Posted in Advertising, Media, Arif Durrani, Latest reporters' blogs July 28th, 2008 by Arif Durrani
Another week, another “humourous” TV ad by Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO pulled for causing offence. This time it was not Heinz in the crosshairs, but fellow US food giant Mars Confectionery.
The 97-year-old company has pulled a global ad created in the UK starring Mr T within two weeks of its release after complaints that it was offensive to gay people.
The 30 second spot by AMV.BBDO features Mr T in BA Baracus mode, complete with gold chains and mohawk, firing Snickers bars at a race walker.
During the commercial he growls: “Speed walking. I pity you fool. You a disgrace to the man race. It’s time to run like a real man.”
He then opens fire, shooting the man with Snickers bars and forcing him to break into a run.
In the UK the ad has attracted two complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority since it launched during Big Brother on 13 July.
However, in the US, the The Human Rights Campaign criticised Mars for perpetuating “the notion that the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community is a group of second class citizens and that violence against GLBT people is not only acceptable, but humorous”.
“This ad is the second in a series of UK Snickers Ads featuring Mr T, which are meant to be fun and have been positively received in the UK,” said a spokeswoman for Mars.
“However, we understand that humour is highly subjective, and it is never our intention to cause offense. Accordingly, we have pulled the Mr T Speedwalker ad globally.”
Planning and buying for the campaign was handled by WPP’s MediaCom, however, the agency, along with Omnicom’s AMV and Mars refused to say how long the ad had been scheduled to run for and whether any other media activity will be affected be the decision.
Is the ad in bad taste or has Mars caved in to pressure too easily?
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susann jerry’s comment is....
Regardless of the spot being humorous, it still reinforces stereotypes. Having Mr. T do this in a humorous fashion does have an impact on both adults that remember Mr. T from his original program and youth who see an adult bullying and demeaning another person for they way they walk. What is humorous about Mr. T stating, he pities him and that he is a disgrace to the man race?
To say that this is ok since it is a form of humour and will therefore not reinforce or promote intolerance or bullying is itself humours. Why if humour laced intolerance is acceptable is black face no longer allowed? Why do cartoons of my youth, created by Warner Brothers which depicted pickaninnies and mammies no longer aired? These too were humorous endeavours that were laughed at and defended in the face of cries of racism. This argument was lost then, why are we not applying the same standard here?
The simple facts, a male archetype is talking down to anther male for not being a classic male archetype. This is intolerance. What’s so funny about that?
Posted July 29th, 2008 at 10:40 am
ellie wallis’s comment is....
The ad could have been a lot funnier if a different example was used. As it is, it is a bit bullying I suppose. But whatever the situation in which Mr T vends spleen, it will not be fresh, as unfortunately it is time for Mr T to hang up with medallions once more.
Posted July 29th, 2008 at 10:54 am
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