COURIERS QUASH CAR COMMERCIAL

The North American auto industry has long used questionable advertising practices in successfully growing their now plummeting sales figures.

Unfortunately they spent more time and money trying to con us into buying new versions of already antiquated cars and trucks, than they did designing the vehicles that might have carried us further into the 21st century, and beyond.

Back in '98, when they attacked the integrity, reliability and even the sanity of the hardest working members of the urban active transport industry, they did so at the expense of the environment.

GENERAL MOTORS actions leave no doubt about the fact that the now-ailing company cared more about its own bottom line, than it did about the health and welfare of its customers, its employees, its shareholders or even the very planet that we all must live on.

This questionable ad aired for months before it was 'voluntarily' removed from public view for demeaning an identifiable occupational group. (Nothing was done to repair the further damage done to the bikers' already fragile public image.)

Advertising Standards Canada, a self-policing ad industry body, didn't care about the environmental sedition aspect, at all.

The incidental music on this video features excerpts of robbieROX' anthem "NO END TO THE PROBLEMS" from his 1981 album, "Ghost Culture". The guitar solo is by veteran bike messenger, Lui LoTufo and the screaming tenor sax is played by woodwind virtuoso, John Johnson.

Hope you're a fast reader, eh?

-scunny-

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• bike
• messengers
• couriers
• active
• transportation
• environmental
• sedition
• GENERAL
• MOTORS
• Advertising
• Standards
• Canada
• HOO

[ericleb01]

Who cares what the environmental aspect of the commercial was? Sure, it's a little harsh for couriers, but by all means, entities like ASC won't give a shit about that. You could have an oil company promoting the destruction of the environment on television and it STILL won't be pulled... that's called freedom of speech.

Oh, and could you provide a source for the "voluntary pull" of the ad? Are you sure the campaign didn't just... you know, end?

[HOOFandCYCLE]

@ericleb01 After it was deemed to be derogatory to an identifiable group GM tried to air a re-edited version but it was argued that the message had already been so well delivered, any version of the ad contravened the code. That revised version too, was removed from the air.

[Mcheetah]

Wow. This sucks!

[dipancrazio]

Yeah!!!!!!!!