BBDO Airs "Suicide" Ads for Pepsi Max

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  1

  christinelu

  12/03/08 | Report as spam

  RE: BBDO Airs

  I lost my sister to suicide 4 years ago. It changed my life and woke me up to a very dark side that many of the people we care about live in on a daily basis until it's too late.
  
  I have NO IDEA how a supposedly world class agency like BBDO could have come up with such an insensitive ad campaign ...nor can I comprehend how a brand like Pepsi could approve this kind garbage. Are their sales really suffering to the point where using suicide as a theme to sell soda makes sense to them?
  
  Fact: Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among teens age 15-24.
  
  Fact: Pepsi Max targets that demographic
  
  What the hell were you thinking BBDO and Pepsi?

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  2

  MichelleMcCormack

  12/04/08 | Report as spam

  RE: BBDO Airs

  Well someone at Pepsi approved this creative.
  
  Between this Pepsi ad and Diesel Rotting Meat Puppet ad it???s hard to believe Motrin took so much heat recently for that Mommy thing. And check out Advertising Age???s cringe-worthy headline pun:
  ???Pepsi Opens a Vein of Controversy With New Suicide-Themed Ads??? (come on, really?)
  
  http://www.cloudoutloud.tv/2008/12/pepsi-suicide-ad-is-boring-in-a-disturbing-way/
  
  People keep commenting how beautiful the Pepsi ad illustrations are, as if that mitigates the offense. It???s like saying, ???she killed her boyfriend, but she???s gorgeous???. Well, I guess that is how it is.

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  3

  Seriin

  12/04/08 | Report as spam

  RE: BBDO Airs

  Wow, if this ad is the catalyst for someone to
  off themselves I say it only cleans up the gene
  pool.
  
  I want to congratulate the creator of this
  advert for having the courage to do what almost
  everyone else is too afraid of doing.
  
  The shame about this is that it stirred up
  quite the controversy, which only further fuels
  my belief that our society is 'politically
  correct'ing itself into the Puritan ages, and
  that thought makes me sick.
  
  That advert itself is witty and clever, as was
  the GM Robot one mentioned as well. If suicide
  is really the 3rd leading cause of death among
  teens, don't you think that maybe, just maybe,
  you can try to help them directly? Blaming
  advertising companies is worse than blaming
  video games for creating violent youth.
  
  Parents, and its either parents or religious
  whack-jobs who make such a fuss over this
  stuff, really need to pull their own heads from
  out their asses and stop trying to rewind the
  planet with their 'morals'.
  
  If the ad made you cry, grow up, seriously,
  because that is all an advert is going to do.
  It isn't going to make you kill yourself
  because you saw a robot or a blue bean do it.
  And as I said before, if this is that -is- the
  reason, it is for the better of the human race.

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  4

  star099

  12/04/08 | Report as spam

  RE: BBDO Airs

  "If the ad made you cry, grow up"
  Death isn't a serious thing to you? I wonder what is then.
  
  "That advert itself is witty and clever"
  Type in "dark" or "suicide" to DeviantArt's search engine and you'll get dozens of pictures like this, same style of art and everything. It's witty and clever to 13 year olds.
  
  To mature minded people it's idiotic to think suicide is a good image to use just to sell Pepsi. If teens are so disturbed nowadays that they get ideas from this image, they need serious help, not more ideas.

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  5

  Seriin

  12/04/08 | Report as spam

  RE: BBDO Airs

  "Death isn't a serious thing to you? I
  wonder what is then."
  
  No, it isn't to be honest, I've accepted that
  it is inevitable, and something not to worry
  about. It's not a big deal, it is another
  adventure.
  
  I didn't say it was a good idea to use it to
  sell Pepsi, I said it was a bad idea to blame
  it for people killing themselves. I said it was
  idiotic to have to have these companies remove
  something because it might offend someone.
  
  Also, it isn't witty and clever to a 13 year
  old, it's "cool" or "scary" or something, I
  don't know, it has been quite some time since I
  was 13. It is, however, witty and clever to
  someone sick of political correctness and wants
  to see something different done once and
  awhile.

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  6

  TNLGUY

  12/04/08 | Report as spam

  RE: BBDO Airs

  That's a pretty violent image for an ad. Now, why did they choose suicide of all things to associate with loneliness? It's a pretty stupid move for them to make. My father committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. This ad certainly does not amuse me. I doubt that it would encourage suicide, but it's such a dark theme that advertising should not touch, excepting suicide prevention ads. There are many people who will be offended by the ads, whether or not suicide has affected their lives. Altogether, it's bold, but in the stupidest of ways.

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  7

  michael.a.anthony@...

  12/06/08 | Report as spam

  RE: BBDO Airs

  Suicide is very sad.
  
  I do not feel this ad was well done. It is too
  heavy handed.
  
  Nevertheless, nothing should be "taboo" just
  because of some hurt feelings (I really am
  sorry for your loss, but stay the hell away
  from my freedom).
  
  GM's ad is a perfect example of how not to
  drive it home too hard while still making an
  effective and humorous commercial.

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  8

  michael.a.anthony@...

  12/06/08 | Report as spam

  RE: BBDO Airs

  star099 annoys me with their incredible
  childishness.
  
  This is a clever, if heavyhanded, ad, and you
  are an infantile bleeding heart who needs to
  never offer anyone their opinion ever again if
  you think it was inappropriate.
  
  Freedom is more important than your thin skin.
  Period.

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  9

  krisnodoubt@...

  12/06/08 | Report as spam

  RE: BBDO Airs

  Well, I have suffered from depression for 23 years. I consider suicide on a very frequent basis, and I've come rrrreally close to doing it.
  
  These ads don't bother me at all.
  
  No one is going to be encouraged to commit suicide because they see a fictional "calorie" character killing itself.
  
  If you're the type to whine about this sort of thing, do us all a favor, and direct your energy at someone you know who may be depressed, and could use a friend. Get away from the damned computer and talk to them.
  
  And if it makes you feel better, do it over a Coca-Cola.

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  10

  Thomas Z.

  12/07/08 | Report as spam

  RE: BBDO Airs

  I'm a graphic designer, and I create ads for a living. And first and foremost, from an advertising and marketing standpoint, this ad fails at the most basic goal of advertising and marketing: It doesn't entice the public to buy the product. This ad will definitely make people take notice, but its shock value will repulse. In order to be effective, provocative advertising needs to be strategically thought-out, and the people who commissioned this ad did not think carefully before having the artist create it. One of the main rules in design advertising is to never associate a food or drink product with death. I suppose someone forgot to inform the amateur designer who drew the Pepsi logo alongside an illustration of a calorie simultaneously hanging himself, blowing his brains out, and drinking cyanide. Also, on an emotional level, this is the most tasteless ad I've ever seen in my life. I'm staying away from Pepsi Max and Pepsi in general. Does anyone know who created this tasteless illustration? I can't imagine the artist's graphic design career progressing much after creating something so repulsive for a company as big as PepsiCo. PepsiCo should be ashamed and embarrassed, because this ad is driving potential buyers away.

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  11

  PalkiaX50

  12/08/08 | Report as spam

  RE: BBDO Airs

  I'm currently 15 and I agree with Seriin (Also don't judge me by my age; I think ageism can be even worse (or at least more annoying) than racism in certain circumstances). People vary in maturity regardless of age, that is something I know all too well from being an admin on Wiktionary; because I always undo any vandalism and the like some idiots (which are probably around my age) have tried to **** up my User page. That is a prime example of stupidity/misanthropy and immaturity. Getting back to the point anyway I think Sereiin is right in what he/she says about political correctness. Here's a perfect example:
  Disclaimer: I do not make fun of people who have disabilities but I do agree with this statement.
  From Uncyclopedia
  You know political correctness has gone too far when they try to say that people with a disability don't have one.
  or something like that.

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  12

  ejhonda

  12/10/08 | Report as spam

  RE: BBDO Airs

  What's to debate? It's in very poor taste, no matter what the impetus is behind them.

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  13

  aaron.roberts@...

  12/10/08 | Report as spam

  RE: BBDO Airs

  Suicide is a very real subject. It affect's hundreds of people daily. As does, war, drinking and driving, smoking, cancer, reckless behavior, shootings, robberies, and dozens of other things beaten into your heads daily. The U.S army gets to advertise using you as a meat shield, in return you get to kill things, and get paid. Nobody so much as a damn squeak or disturbance from that. Alcohol is advertised on most television station about every 20 minutes, about the same as automobile commercials. Gun's, a machine with only one purpose: TO KILL, is sold like candy. And one company uses a slightly touchy issue in their advertisements and suddenly there's an uproar? "Suicide affects me because me sister did it!"
  Yeah? That's great. Smoking killed my aunt. A car killed my cousin. Cancer is killing two people I know. And to boot, I walked in on my old room mate soaked in his own blood on my bathroom floor. See a pattern? Lot's terrible things happen. Everyone is affected by something, while you do have a right to protest, others also have the right to say and express what they feel as well.
  And we all know, the human race is in a record decline. We ignore natural selection, do not force progression, and sit idly as our children grow dumber, and weaker. If some one see's a PEPSI Advertisement and is some how influenced to commit suicide, this person is not exactly a benefit to anyone. While their death will be mourned, their selfish choice will eventually halt is pain caused on their loved ones, and they refrain forever from burdening those around them with a problem that apparently could not be fixed. Suicide can not be justified, don't try to defend it. We should mourn those lost at their own hands, not praise them.
  long story short: Suicide is one of many hundred "touchy" issues we all face. Your issues are not special or any more important.

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  14

  yf42

  12/14/08 | Report as spam

  RE: BBDO Airs

  The idea that this advertisement would cause someone to commit suicide is, as several users have pointed out, absolutely ridiculous. In addition, I absolutely support the idea of free speech. Without it, we are lost as a nation.
  
  With that being said, the idea that free speech somehow means that PepsiCo. or its advertising agents are free to utilize any subject they would like in their ads is ludicrous. By your logic, there are no subjects or images that are off-limits to be displayed to the general public. This is, of course, a view that the vast majority of the general public does not share. Now you are advocating forcing the desires of a few upon many, which completely contradicts the idea that people should "stay the hell away
  from my freedom."
  
  Your notion that people who might take offense to an ad like this are only "either parents or religious whack-jobs" and they should "pull their own heads from out their asses and stop trying to rewind the planet with their 'morals'." is downright laughable. To prove your first point wrong, I am neither a parent nor a religious whack-job. To prove your second point to be incorrect, you are in fact trying to impose your own moral code on others while deriding them for doing the same. To call you a hypocrite would be stating the obvious.
  
  To summarize, everyone is certainly free to feel any way they would like about anything. This does not make us free to publicly force this on the rest of the world. It is definitely true that there are many instances of censorship being taken too far, however, this is most certainly not one of them.
  
  Your publicly stated unnecessarily harsh criticisms of those who disagree with you betray a lack of maturity on your part. If you have a valid point to make, it should not be necessary to rely on insults and self-righteousness to do so.

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  15

  ZomB

  12/15/08 | Report as spam

  RE: BBDO Airs

  Star09 I don't know if you know this yet but you are going to die. When, where, how, why? I don't know, but isn't the mystery great? Death shouldn't be taken so seriously, it is a part of life, has been for all of time and will continue even after you and I bite the dust.
  
  I have some questions for you...
  
  "To mature minded people it's idiotic to think suicide is a good image to use just to sell Pepsi. If teens are so disturbed nowadays that they get ideas from this image, they need serious help, not more ideas."
  
  How are these ideas not already in someone's, who is contemplating suicide, head? Yea hanging yourself...really original.
  
  Taking pills/poison? Holy cow, I never thought of that...
  
  Shooting yourself in the brain... Never been done before.
  
  All of these "ideas" are already prevalent in the world and these "ideas" are already in the persons head.
  
  I think Art should generate ideas and thoughts, that's the point. This is a great piece of art, why? Because it generates discussion of the piece.
  
  "If teens are so disturbed nowadays.."
  Who say's their disturbed? You? The Mass Public? Teens?
  
  I think teens have always been the same, it's just a lot easier to hear about everyone these days thanks to mass media, ie. the internet. 20 years ago they didn't have blogs or chat rooms or any other way to find out about other peoples lives so this statement not very accurate.
  If you are going to argue that there are more suicides every year, there are also more people being born every year than the previous. You should start looking at percentages of the age group, I think it's more accurate.
  
  Anyways I could rip you apart all day but I have to think of a way to kill myself, wait what's that at the top of the page? Maybe I will try that.
  
  Stop controlling people's lives and just live your own because that's all you can do.

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  16

  stmmts

  12/17/08 | Report as spam

  RE: BBDO Airs

  I like the add, its funny. It mentions the product. It is something you will not quite get at first glance, but after a few seconds it will come to you.
  
  I love the drawing. Very well done.
  
  I personally hate every single one of you who have to take some silly cartoon, and turn it into some outrage against some cause.
  
  "I lost xyxyxx to suicide, so now I cant take a joke and no one should be able to joke about it either."
  
  Maybe if you were more fun in life, and had some laughs with this person, and got them to not take things so seriously, they might have managed to not off themselves.

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  17

  Protector

  12/18/08 | Report as spam

  RE: BBDO Airs

  I think people need to toughen up. The fact that people overreact and talk about it, is the stated reason for the add itself. If it was ignored it would not be a valid advertising scheme. The over-sensitivity of people seems indeed to have unintended consequences. Frankly I'm glad too, this add may not be offensive to me, it may be offensive to you. Other adds may be offensive to me but not you. We live in a free society and you sometimes have to deal with the things you don't like in order to protect your own freedom. So defend their right to put the add out and don't buy the product if you don't like it. America has become a nation of emasculated cry babys who can't deal with even the slightest bump in the road without bellyaching. This is having it's consequence in government and society. I have news for you, appreciate what you have and be glad that someone else still have the freedom to offend you while it lasts because each day brings less and less of that freedom at the hands of idiots.

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  18

  salgo

  02/03/09 | Report as spam

  RE: D&G ad

  Maybe it's just the fact that I grew up in a part of the world where gang rape is a socio-cultural phenomenon that serves the purpose of humiliating a family's honor by violating a female of that family. While Westerners tend to see the world through the eyes of the individual, this is not the manner by which the majority of humanity experiences and constructs their existence. Personhood is understood within the context of one's connection to a larger social unit, be it family, tribe, or clan. So, to me it appears that the young woman has insulted Judy Garland and one young man is particularly offended by the derogatory comment about his favorite dead singer. His friends are also big Judy Garland fans, and one of them looks like he might help the angriest fellow to force the woman to retract her disparaging remark about Judy Garland. While there does appear to be a certain degree of menacing affectation on the visages of the men, the idea that any of them would be interested in committing sexual violence against the woman seems highly unlikely. Maybe they are threatening to steal her cosmetics or having her blacklisted at every hair stylist's salon in their town.

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  19

  SemajS

  03/29/09 | Report as spam

  RE: BBDO Airs

  In many different ways companies as of today have different strategies to gain more costumers, Reading this article was very useful for the reason that it enlightens those of us in that kind of industry to awaken into a new reality?and it seems similar with Harley Davidson the first names that come to mind when people think of motorcycles. However, the brand is in trouble. As the recession draws on, fewer people are willing to lay down $20,000 or more on a vehicle that isn't a daily driver. The company has also been hurting because of the credit crisis, but after losing large sums on previous loans, the financial wing is still offering loans with much stricter requirements. Tom Bergman, Harley CFO defends the lending, citing that the company is trying to survive. They may need a payday loan in the meantime. However, as the economy shows signs of rebound, it isn't likely we will see an end to Harley Davidson.