Man, People complain about EVERYTHING nowadays ...

[WVUFAN]

Link:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070209/ap_en_tv/super_bowl_gm_ad


DETROIT - A Super Bowl ad showing a quality-obsessed General Motors Corp. robot jumping off a bridge in a dream sequence after screwing up on the job is drawing criticism from a suicide prevention group.

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But the world's largest automaker is defending the ad and says it has no plans to change the spot, which is making the rounds online and is featured on GM's Web site after making its broadcast debut during Sunday's big game.


The ad, called "Robot," opens with the machine in question dropping a screw while working on a GM assembly line. It's kicked out of the plant and finds work waving a "Condos for Sale" sign and holding up a speaker at a fast-food joint, all the while appearing saddened by watching shiny, new GM vehicles drive by.

As the Eric Carmen song "All By Myself" plays in the background, the despondent robot leaps off a bridge into the water below, only to wake up inside the darkened factory — waking up from its dream.


The New York-based American Foundation for Suicide Prevention says it started getting complaints the day after the ad aired and as of Thursday had fielded more than 250 e-mails or calls. It wants GM to pull the ad from its Web site, try to get it off video-sharing Web sites such as YouTube and apologize.


"It was inappropriate to use depression and suicide as a way to sell cars," said Robert Gebbia, the foundation's executive director.

The ad is the latest from the Super Bowl to come under fire. Earlier this week, a commercial for Snickers candy bars was benched after complaints that it was homophobic. And aspiring rapper Kevin Federline apologized after a restaurant trade group said it was insulted by an ad that starred him as a fast-food worker.

GM says the robot ad was designed to show the company's obsession with quality, highlighting its enhanced powertrain warranty of five years or 100,000 miles on all new light-duty vehicles starting with 2007 models.
Mark LaNeve, GM's vice president of sales, service and marketing, said the automaker had no plans to stop airing the ad. It had a relatively small number of runs scheduled after the Super Bowl, and those will continue, he said.

The ad was screened by focus groups for insensitivity, and all found it amusing and effective in conveying the message about GM's quality, LaNeve said.

"It's a dream sequence. It's not a person, and it's a robot that is a fantasy. I mean, that robot doesn't move around. C'mon," LaNeve said.
In a statement, GM said, "Advertising during the Super Bowl brings instant critiques, both positive and negative," GM said in a statement."

The ad has only aired once, but the online buzz has continued. The company didn't have details on how many times the ad had been watched on its Web site, but on YouTube alone it has drawn more than 350,000 views.

But Lisamarie Miller, 39, of Palatine, Ill., said she'll never buy a GM vehicle after seeing the ad online. The member of a the Chicago-area chapter of AFSP found out about it from the foundation — and has been sharing her disgust online as well as with friends, family and co-workers.

"I was completely outraged," said Miller, whose 21-year-old brother battled depression before killing himself in 1993. "GM is not being a responsible citizen by airing something that so closely imitates life."

Wow. People are dumb.

[Marathoner]

I could see how it would be offensive to someone who had lost a relative to suicide. I imagine they wouldn't think it was very funny.

If they were trying to use they perfectionist angle, they probably should have aired it in Japan or Korea, it might have more effect given the culture.

[Logan]

I was ready to jump in with an enthusiastic YEAH before I even read the article.

But you know what...I kind of agree.

[Toddzilla]

I'm not going to try and say I was all outraged by the ad - I thought for the most part it was really good - but the end was a little disconcerting. I certainly would defer to those who have lost a friend or relative to suicide as to the ad being inappropriate or not.

What's ultimately really funny, however, is that WVUFAN doesn't even realize he's talking about himself.

[sabotai]

The ad has only aired once, but the online buzz has continued.

So....it's been "pulled" then. I mean, not that the company has "pulled the ad", just that they only aired it during the Super Bowl and that's it.....so what's the problem?

[WVUFAN]

What's ultimately really funny, however, is that WVUFAN doesn't even realize he's talking about himself.

Yeah, I had a family member kill herself, but when I saw that commercial, that idea never came to me. To be honest, suicide really has nothing to do with the commercial. I never took offense to it at all. Then again, I think people take offense to far to much these days.

Maybe I need to change that title, though ... I see your point, Toddzilla. :)

[Cringer]

When I saw the commercial I thought people who are sensative might complain. Then after the Superbowl nobody did so I figured it was allllllll good.

Guess it was a slightly delayed reaction.

[JonInMiddleGA]

So....it's been "pulled" then. I mean, not that the company has "pulled the ad", just that they only aired it during the Super Bowl and that's it.....so what's the problem?

Well, it is still available on the company's website, nor have I seen anything where they say it wouldn't be airing again, so it really wouldn't be termed as "pulled".

I imagine the next time we'll see it would be during March Madness.

[sabotai]

Well, it is still available on the company's website, nor have I seen anything where they say it wouldn't be airing again, so it really wouldn't be termed as "pulled".

Just saw it on their website (didn't see it the first time thanks to NoScript :) ). No, they didn't say they wouldn't air it again, but a commerical not airing anywhere since the Super Bowl probably isn't going to get aired again. Unless other sporting events are starting to draw some of that "Super Bowl ad" spotlight like March Madness.

[BrianD]

I was slightly disturbed by the ad. Not nearly to the point that I would complain about it, but disturbed enough that I didn't really care what the ad was for by the time it was done. I think the ad could have been better had the ended with the robot thinking about going over the edge, rather than showing it in mid-fall.

[Lathum]

My brother in law commited suicide leaving my sister and 3 kids under the age of 4 behind. The commercial struck a small nerve with me but not to the point of where I felt compelled to write a letter or anything.

[Young Drachma]

I thought the ad was in poor taste, because of the layoffs in the auto industry, at least that was my first reaction when I saw it. That aside, it was well done, entertaining and funny.

[Young Drachma]

And I don't think it conveyed their message of quality at all.

[nilodor]

I'm not going to try and say I was all outraged by the ad - I thought for the most part it was really good - but the end was a little disconcerting. I certainly would defer to those who have lost a friend or relative to suicide as to the ad being inappropriate or not.


When I was in high school I lost one of my best friends to suicide, it was pretty rough because I had spent the day before trying to help him work out some of the issues he had and I really thought he was turning the corner and this ad reminded me of him and I'm acctually glad about that. Just to be reminded of him, you kind of forget over time. I enjoyed the ad and honestly thought it was kinda funny, sad but funny. I guess I struggle with what is accomplished by pulling the ad. I understand it's a hard topic to deal with but it is what it is, a commercial. Should the suicide girls change their name? Or should that documentary where they filmed the golden gate bridge for a year, specifically to record peoples final moments before they jumped, be pulled? I guess I come down on the side that, it wasn't done to make fun of people who have committed suicide or who have contimplated it and I would hope maybe it would maybe even open up a bit of discussion on the topic. As long as it's not insulting, I don't really see the harm.

[Vinatieri for Prez]

I thought the ad was in poor taste, because of the layoffs in the auto industry, at least that was my first reaction when I saw it. That aside, it was well done, entertaining and funny.

This was more my thought rather than the suicide attempt.

[Axxon]

GM says the robot ad was designed to show the company's obsession with quality, highlighting its enhanced powertrain warranty of five years or 100,000 miles on all new light-duty vehicles starting with 2007 models.

It's always nice when a news story includes advertising for the subject of the story.

[Toddzilla]

Yeah, I had a family member kill herself, but when I saw that commercial, that idea never came to me. To be honest, suicide really has nothing to do with the commercial. I never took offense to it at all. Then again, I think people take offense to far to much these days.

Maybe I need to change that title, though ... I see your point, Toddzilla. :)Much respect to you, sir.

But I disagree with the point of the commercial - I see the intent as being "Everyone at GM is obsessed with quality, to the point that if we can't achieve perfection, we'll kill ourselves." If it had been a person getting laid-off, working some miserable jobs, and then jumping off a bridge, what would the reaction have been then? I think simply substituting a robot for a person doesn't necessarily make it okay.

[Telle]

I thought the commercial was in bad taste, but not anything worth protesting over.

[Toddzilla]

I guess I come down on the side that, it wasn't done to make fun of people who have committed suicide or who have contemplated it and I would hope maybe it would maybe even open up a bit of discussion on the topic. As long as it's not insulting, I don't really see the harm.IMO, I thought the end of the commercial kind of trivialized suicide, not made fun of it. I think as an audience we were expected to laugh and say "Ha! Ha! A robot is sad he lost his job and now he's going to kill himself."

[KWhit]

I was much more disturbed by the half naked guys rubbing themselves all over the car in the other GM spot.

*shudders*

[gottimd]

I was much more disturbed by the half naked guys rubbing themselves all over the car in the other GM spot.

*shudders*

I lost my great uncle to a freak naked old man car washing accident. I think I shall now protest this commercial.

[Fighter of Foo]

Generally speaking, if you don't piss some people off by your selling/marketing/advertising, it likely isn't effective.

Big companies typically fail miserably at understanding this.

[Swaggs]

Bump...

Did anyone else see the "new" commercial for this during the Academy Awards? Instead of pondering suicide at the end of the commercial, he walks by a junkyard and sees an old GM getting dropped (I believe into a crusher) and is then startled awake?