Shocking Ad!

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
17,000
0
SW Scotland
Did anyone see a commercial for rememberacharity.org on Channel 4 this afternoon? It horrified me.

Michael Buerk was encouraging people to leave legacies to charities in their wills. At one stage he said, '..... being of sound mind in a mad world, I will' and the shot cut to an image of a woman with dementia.

I can't get it out of my head. I've emailed both rememberacharity and the advertising standards authority to complain. I hope the ad is withdrawn, I certainly don't want to see it again.

If you really want to see it, the link is:

http://www.rememberacharity.org.uk/home.jsp?user=public

Click on view our commercial, version 2 is the one in question, I've no complaints about the other versions.

Or am I being hyper-sensitive?
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
Hazel - it may be because I'm accessing it from outside the UK but I can't find the view our commercial option on that link. Edited to add - found it !
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
As Hazel said, you click on the picture on the top left. Unfortunattely when I do that I still can't see anything - my system freezes.
 

TinaT

Registered User
Sep 27, 2006
7,097
0
Costa Blanca Spain
Sorry Hazel, I normally agree with you but I've looked at the particular ad' (is it the second on the list?) and I can't see anything which I would object to. I think it is showing images of people and events which depict why there is a need to give money. The lady in the picture may be included to show people that there is a need to give to old age charities or dementia charities - not sure which. I don't personally think that the term 'mad world' as he is using it has anything to do with any one image shown but rather to the mad, horrid, cruel events which happen to a wide variety of people needing help.
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
Well I've finally managed to watch it. To be honest it's too tiny and dark to judge. I wouldn't, at the size I can get it, have assumed that the woman has dementia, but that's more to do with what I can or cannot see. If she really does, then I would agree that at the very least it's an unfortunate juxtaposition of words and pictures, and I don't blame you for being disturbed.
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,445
0
Kent
I got it with no problem. It had no effect on me.

I believe we do live in a mad world and I thought the old woman was simply an old woman, and illustrated our society`s neglect of the elderly.
 
Last edited:

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
17,000
0
SW Scotland
There's not a block on it, Elaine. Perhaps you haven't got a video programme on your computer? I can't advise on that, but someone will be able to.

Jennifer, it is difficult to soo on the small pop-up, but imagine on a large TV, which is where I first saw it.

OK, maybe I am hypersensitive at the moment, but it upset me, and I've said so. We'll see if I get a response. Strangely, I haven't seen any of the other versions, hadn't even heard of the organisation.
 

Tender Face

Account Closed
Mar 14, 2006
5,379
0
NW England
Skye said:
OK, maybe I am hypersensitive at the moment, but it upset me, and I've said so.
Firstly, I have to say TinaT has already expressed/mirrored so eloquently my feelings having watched the ad ......

Hazel, if you ARE hypersensitive just now, please don't make apologies .... surely those feelings 'come with the territory' at times .........

Advertising (and especially where charities are involved) HAS to be emotive, else there's no point .... but it has to be sensitive and non-discriminative too .....

I have been surprised over the years at 'ads' which have been withdrawn which I thought were justified and powerful - and equally - those which haven't been censored which I have personally thought to be in very poor taste ....

What is important is that you have a view Hazel and are allowed to express it and have been able to articulate it to the appropriate audience yourself ...... if there are enough others do the same, then you know action will be taken ..... If it isn't then your view is still respected.

The very fact the ad has stirred emotion and has people even talking about it here for just one 'clip' - without any direct reference to dementia - shows its power.

Let's hope it motivates some people to consider writing AS into their legacies.....?

Love, Karen, x
 

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
17,000
0
SW Scotland
Success!

I have today received a reply from ASA.

'I appreciate that the way the ad was cut was unfortunate, but we think that the association between 'mad world' and the lady shown was unintentional.

'While our code stipulates that ads should not cause serious or widespread offence, it also maintains that an ad may be distasteful without being in breach of the code. We are pleased to note that, since you made your complaint, this particular shot has been changed in more recent versions of the ad.'

So it does sometimes pay to complain!

(I note that the ad I complained about is still on their website. I'll leave it at that unless it reappears on TV.)
 

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