Wednesday, March 20, 2013

The most disturbing car ad starring Silvio Berlusconi you will see today

Via Ads of The World

Ball gags?!? This is part of a bizarre campaign, by JWT India, for a Ford with lots of trunk space.

The other executions show Michael Schumacher with rival drivers tied up in the back, and Paris Hilton having kidnapped the Kardashians.

Really weird and disturbing. I'm surprised the Ford brand is good with this.

Update: The ads were really created by Ford's Indian AOR, but were not ever approved.
Ford and its ad agency issued apologies for a tasteless Ford Figo ad — in which former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi is shown with a bunch of gagged and crying women in the trunk of his car — that was never meant to see the light of day. 
It turns out a young creative team at JWT India, Ford Figo's agency of record, made the spot and posted it to website Ads of the World without approval. (It has since been removed.)
Ford and WPP Group (owner of JWT) have nonetheless issued formal apologies.

Update 2: Not just the work of renegade creatives, apparently. Adland writes that "Bobby Pawar, JWT India's chief creative officer & managing partner, as well as Vijay SimhaVellanki, creative director at Blue Hive, a WPP unit dedicated to managing the Ford business, have been asked to resign."




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5 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 21, 2013 at 11:44 AM

    I am still very much surprised that you work in advertising. Any seasoned ad man (or woman) would know that Indian creative can be very weird at times. Also, any seasoned ad man (or woman) would know that these ads never ran and never will. We call them "fake". As for being disturbing, if these images disturb you, how about I send you some truly disturbing ads?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tom MegginsonMarch 21, 2013 at 8:05 PM

      Sure. Go for it.

      Delete
    2. Tom MegginsonMarch 21, 2013 at 8:10 PM

      As to the authenticity, BI has a call in: http://www.businessinsider.com/awful-ford-figo-ad-silvio-berlunsconi-gagged-women-2013-3

      Stand by.

      Delete
    3. AnonymousMarch 22, 2013 at 12:35 PM

      "It's not clear if Ford approved the ads, or if the agency was just publishing some speculative renderings to show off its creative chops".

      I am convinced these ads never ran. In any event, there's nothing disturbing here. Just rubbish. But then again India is not known for quality advertising.

      Delete
    4. Tom MegginsonMarch 23, 2013 at 10:47 AM

      Looks like you were right that they never ran, and a young creative team at JWT India is probably on the streets.

      Delete

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