Shocking advertising by Hyundai

[*Emma*]

An open letter to Hyundai and their advertising agency Innocean.

 

 

http://copybot.wordpress.com/2013/04/25/an-open-letter-to-innocean-and-hyundai/

 

 

Emma

 

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

If that is not a wind-up by someone, I have to agree that it is in very poor taste.   

[Mid life crisis]

If that is not a wind-up by someone, I have to agree that it is in very poor taste.   

 

Agree

:no:

[bhouse]

That ad has the Twitterati all fired up. Really bad taste :-(

[peterg]

From the New STatesman website:

 

 

Holly Brockwell's letter has sparked a wave of protest against the advert, but astonishingly, before she wrote it, the advert had been praised by other writers. The Guardian's Jason Stone picked it as one of the "best adverts of the week", writing:

"In order to demonstrate the benign nature of the advertised vehicle's emissions, we find out what happens when a desperate man feeds his exhaust pipe into the car in a bid to end his life. Mind you, as he trudges back to his house to continue his meaningless existence, it doesn't seem likely that the car has saved his life for very long – unless, of course, his suicide attempt was prompted by despair about global warming."

While The Drum picked it as ad of the day last week, writing:

 

   "It certainly does communicate a message. Probably not the one that Hyundai wanted communicating, though."

 

This viral is bound to put the cat among the pigeons but even its harshest critics won't be able to deny that it manages to communicate its message.  The Times' Kat Brown confirms it's a Hyundai advert.

 

 

It's worth noting that the Drum selected it as advert of the day on 19 April and the Guardian chose it as one of the best ads of the week today.

 

[User0083]

Does it matter if it's a wind up or actual events?

It is shocking and I'm stunned.

[Speed Freak]

shocking absolutely shocking- too much has gone on in the world to show things like this, and to not expect a reaction...

what afterall is the sales pitch? if youre worried your fellars going to top himself then buy him a Hyundai?

I know personally 3 people who took their own lives, and if they had have been family where such things play harder on the old heart strings, Im sure this advert would bring a tear to my eye as well.

[Nick Algar - Competition Secretary]

Unbelievable that they could produce an Ad like that, but I suppose I should not be surprised these days. 

[Cleggy the Spyder Man]

Mmm even without reading the letter it is in poor taste

An old friend of mine ( who was strangely a motoring journey for our local paper ) took his own life by this method

I wonder has how his brother or mum would feel if they saw this advert

[Rab (bombero) Reid]

Terrible and disturbing ad .. hope it doesn't make it through the UK censorship!

[housebeautician]

Disgraceful 

[XTR2Turbo]

Completely wrong.

 

When I was about 20 a lad a few years older then me killed himself this way.

 

He was member of our local cycling club too and rode most weekends but got depressed over a relationship that went wrong.

 

We had a volunteer fire brigade and two of the members of the brigade were also in the cycling club and got called to the scene. They have never forgotten it and can't suppose they would now be impressed either.

 

Also for everyone that does kill themselves this way there are lots that end up getting brain damage instead trying...

[echoz]

Sad world we live in  

[jeff oakley]

I had a customer once who asked how long the expandable pipe was we did for connecting the air filter to the manifold. we told him and he was as happy as he normally was. Next day we delivered it and he used it to gas himself with, unexpected no outward signs very sad.

 

What was worse our accounts department, inspite of being told, were chasing the debt including the pipe the week of the funeral.

 

 The advert was tasteless and ill conceived and has been disowned by Hyundia