DB pulls Dotcom Tui ad
The main complainant said she was offended every time she drove past the sign.
DB Breweries has taken down an advert poking fun at internet millionaire Kim Dotcom.
In a recent version of its well-known Tui ads, a billboard stated: “She clearly married him for his body. Yeah, right.”
Complaints were made to the Advertising Standards Authority and upheld.
The main complainant, S Webb, said she was offended every time she drove past the sign.
“The clear insinuation is that Mr Dotcom has an unattractive body and that Mrs Dotcom married him for money.”
Other complainers say the ad was “hurtful and insulting” to overweight people in general.
The ASA says the billboard was disparaging and derogatory in a high personal way.
This was not saved by the allowance for use of humour and satire provided by the code.
It found the ad had not been prepared with a due sense of social responsibility.
ASA chief executive Hilary Souter says she understands DB Breweries took down the ad as soon as it had received notice of the complaint. In its response it requested the complaint be settled on account of its immediate action.
Victoria Young
Wed, 12 Dec 2012
Wed, 12 Dec 2012
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DB pulls Dotcom Tui ad
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