Ritchie's car ad axed after complaints
A car advert directed by British film maker Guy Ritchie has been axed after complaints it encouraged dangerous driving, General Motors confirmed today.
The 60-second ad showed an under-age boy in a Corvette perfecting a series of high speed stunts on city streets.
But campaigners from seven safety groups said the General Motors commercial, airing in the United States, sent the wrong message to youngsters.
The ad, called “A Boy’s Dream” and set to the Rolling Stones song Jumpin’ Jack Flash, was being shown during breaks in the Olympic coverage.
“Promoting illegal and risky behaviour in ads viewed by millions of families - especially young males – watching the Olympics is egregious corporate behaviour,” campaigners wrote in a letter to GM.
“It is doubtful that General Motors would condone the beer industry showing a ’dream sequence’ of 10-year-old children having an after-school ’kegger’.”
GM spokesman Joe Jacuzzi said the motor giant axed the advert as a result of the letter and other viewer feedback.
But he said the ad never was intended to depict a real-life situation.
“The intention right off the bat was to capture a boy’s aspiration of driving a Corvette in a very exaggerated way,” he said.
A spokesman for Ritchie, the film director married to pop star Madonna, could not be reached for comment.
