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Article: Gunning for sense in an adland devoid of reason: Ofcom's banning of a Land Rover ad defies all logic. But there is a distinct lack of logic in adland, says Iain Murray. Oh well, long live the fruitcake fairy.
- Article from:
- Marketing Week
- Article date:
- September 9, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Centaur Communications Limited. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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What are we to make of the news that a television ad for Land Rover featuring a woman firing a gun has been brained by regulators after it prompted more than 300 complaints from viewers, all of whom declared themselves to be deeply offended?
What, do you suppose, caused their offence? Was it that the ad was silly, juvenile and feeble (which it was)? Was it some kind of feminist outrage that a woman should be seen firing a gun without actually killing anyone? Was it perhaps that four-wheel drive vehicles are, by their nature, offensive to some? No, it was none of those things. It was, said Ofcom, because the advertisement "made light of genuine public concern ...