| Saab ad campaign avoids getting its wings clipped |
| Thursday, 11 October 2007 | |||||||||
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A Saab advertising campaign went awry when a woman was hit in the face by a mechanical butterfly released by one of the company's booklets. Yet despite a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority, the carmaker will not have to pull the promotion.  A French advert for the butterfly known as the 'Magic Flyer' The booklet, headlined 'Why constrain the power of nature?', featured an image of a butterfly on the front cover. Physical harmWhen unsuspecting recipients opened the brochure, an elastic band powered mechanical butterfly was released into the air.
The ASA complainant, whose wife was hit by the butterfly, objected that the inclusion of such a device was irresponsible because it could cause physical harm to the recipient.
The complainant added that the butterfly could also cause undue distress.
Complaint not upheldSaab responded to the complaint by saying it merely intended to inform people in a memorable and relevant way about the arrival of BioPower - an eco friendly Saab engine.
The company apologised for any stress or harm accidentally caused by the mailing.
The ASA said that the butterfly, known as the Magic Flyer, had been used previously in several large-scale mailing campaigns in Europe without any reported injuries and ruled that the complaints should not be upheld. Related LinksRelated Articles
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Comments (3)
Kevin McClaughlin
said:
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There are far worse ... There are far worse things spreading through our industry than a paper butterfly powered by a rubber band. It was designed to be a surprise. No more. It is. and nothing else. Get a life! Only in America as they say!!! |
Terry Brown
said:
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Common sense prevail... Common sense prevailing! this trend must be stopped at all costs, it's the last thing we want spreading through our industry. |
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