Pepsi kills ads depicting suicide


http://multimedia.heraldinteractive.com/images/4f6594e7af_pepsi_1204.jpg
MORBID: Pepsi nixed an ad campaign for a beverage featuring
‘One very, very, very lonely calorie,’ which is personified shooting
and hanging himself.

Pepsi has pulled a controversial print advertisement that uses suicide to sell a single-calorie drink.

The three-illustration Pepsi Max ad depicts “one very, very, very lonely calorie” attempting to take his own life by strangulation, shooting, drinking poison, attaching itself to a bomb and slitting its wrist.

“I’m shocked that a terrific company like Pepsi would use these kind of images to sell products,” said Robert Gebbia, executive director of the nonprofit American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “You wouldn’t make light of other leading causes of death.”

A PepsiCo spokesman said the ad appeared in one recent issue of a German magazine, and the beverage giant has no plans to use it again.

“We agree (the illustrations) are totally inappropriate and they will not run again,” said Huw Gilbert.

Gilbert said Pepsi did not get complaints about the ads.

“If there was any reaction in Germany, we were unaware of them,” he said, without explaining why the company decided to pull the campaign.

Pepsi is not the first company to use suicide to sell products.

General Motors ran a Super Bowl spot a few years ago that depicted a robot jumping off a bridge. The ad was intended to be comical but the image sparked an uproar from suicide prevention groups. The automaker’s ad agency later edited the commercial.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1136681 (http://news.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1136681)

They seriously went ahead and thought that would be okay? How stupid.

They seriously went ahead and thought that would be okay? How stupid.
Come on Ashlee, you don't see how funny suicide can be? :rolleyes:

No, I'm with you. What were they thinking, or more importantly, were they thinking? Suicide devastates so many families and to make light of it, is extremely thoughtless.

Come on Ashlee, you don't see how funny suicide can be? :rolleyes:

No, I'm with you. What were they thinking, or more importantly, were they thinking? Suicide devastates so many families and to make light of it, is extremely thoughtless.
And even seriousness aside, I'm suprised they wouldn't even stop to think that they would receive backlash about it in the first place. As professionals, they should know that such a serious topic wouldn't go over well with people. It's common sense.

http://www.frederiksamuel.com/blog/2008/12/pepsi-max.html

disgusting! it's one thing to hint that the calorie is depressed (which is a ******** idea to begin with). it's another to make grossly detailed pictures of violent suicides to promote a damn soda. seems like just a big cry for attention to me. i would guess it's aimed at the 13-17 year old crowd since they're mostly the ones who find suicide funny.

I don't think ad is too bad but it does have a weird concept.

Good grief! That is just sick.

poor taste aside, i fail to understand how they thought this concept would help them sell more sodas.

i agree. using suicide to sell product is just not smart. they obviously weren't thinking at all. i can't see how that would encourage people to buy their product.

Sorry - but that's really ****ed right up! :rolleyes:

^ Cathie, you just said it all! :nod:

This is something one can expect to find in MadMagazine or some satirical joke website...
NOT AN ACTUAL AD!!