NEW YORK — General Motors late Friday gave in to mounting pressure from suicide prevention and mental health groups and agreed to revise its "suicidal robot" advertisement that triggered criticism after it aired during last Sunday's Super Bowl broadcast. The automaker has not yet confirmed how it will change the ad, but the ending, where the despondent robot jumps off of a bridge is expected to be revised.
In the spot, a quality-obsessed robot makes a mistake and is thrown out of a GM plant. After a series of demeaning jobs, the robot commits suicide, only to wake up and realize it was just a dream.
In a letter on its Web site, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention says the ad "is offensive to the tens of millions of survivors of suicide loss nationwide. The ad, in its carelessness, portrays suicide as a viable option when someone fails or loses their job. This is the wrong message to send to adolescents in general, or to young people and adults alike who may be depressed."
The ad is scheduled to run during the upcoming Academy Awards program and is currently playing on the company's Web site. According to the current issue of Business Week, GM hopes the $5.2 million ad will make the robot the star of an ongoing ad campaign.
What this means to you: Doesn't anyone have a sense of humor anymore?
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