By now everyone has seen the new DirecTV commercials starring Rob Lowe. Generally people see the comedy in these commercials and enjoy them. Well now DirecTV is catching some flack from shy ladder sufferers. The ad is in poor taste and ridicules a serious problem, said Steve Soifer, CEO of the International Paruresis Association, which estimates that some 7 percent of Americans have some form of "shy bladder syndrome. What if he didn't have a leg or an arm?" he said. "Are you going to make fun of them?" These people are now requesting that DirecTV remove these fairly expensive commercials.
What would you do if you were in DirecTV's shoes? Cut the commercials to save the feelings of a very small group of people, or, continue airing the successful ad campaign? How serious of a situation do you think this is for DirecTV?
Here's the article http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2014/11/04/shy-bladder-group-protests-directv-ad/18466771/
Hmm, I have seen the commercial and would have never thought it would have been a problem. As with anything, I think we need to be conscious of the people in the minority here. Yes, most of us find the commercial funny and think having trouble urinating is a silly concept. But it is helpful to remember that someone can take real offense to that if they do have this sort of problem. Then it becomes joke at another group's expense. I think taking down the ad is a little drastic, but publicizing a letter of disapproval would be more appropriate. I found it interesting to know that people actually do have this problem, and that making fun of it directly hurts them. If the public is educated about the issue, then they would think twice about laughing at the commercial.
ReplyDeleteI don't think DirectTV needs to do anything. You shouldn't have to take down a successful ad campaign just because a very small group of people were offended by it. People get offended by just about everything nowadays. Unless there is a public outcry over the commercial, which there isn't, nothing needs to be done.
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