Reebok ditches 50 Cent ad
2005-05-18 13:51
London - Britain's advertising watchdog on Wednesday criticised a Reebok TV commercial featuring rapper 50 Cent, saying it appeared to glorify his violent background.
The sportswear label ad shows 50 Cent saying he was "gunned down" and counting from one to nine - the number of times he was shot. He is later shown laughing and staring at the camera after a voice-over asks: "Who do you plan to massacre next?"
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the commercial breached industry guidelines. The ad was pulled from screens last month following complaints from viewers.
"We believed it appeared to condone his violent background," the ASA said.
"As 50 Cent is a well known 'gangster-style' rapper whose music is closely associated with crime and violence, we believed the advertisements endorsed his type of lifestyle and disregarded the unsavoury and perilous aspects of it."
Reebok UK said the "I Am What I Am" campaign, created by NMI Media, was cleared by the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre, a body that vets commercials before they are shown.
Reebok said the campaign did not condone violence or cruelty, adding the question: "Who do you plan to massacre next?" referred to the rapper's new album, The Massacre.
But the company said it respected the decision of the ASA and had stopped broadcasting the 50 Cent ad on April 8 because "a small number of the general public misinterpreted it and found it offensive".
Some of the complaints by viewers were made to the ASA, triggering its adjudication process, which continued even though the advert was no longer being shown.
- AP