Ford Upset by Web Ad Showing Decapitation

AP ^ | 04/19/04 | AP

[Pikamax]

Ford Upset by Web Ad Showing Decapitation

Sun Apr 18, 7:14 PM ET Add Technology - AP to My Yahoo!

DEARBORN, Mich. - Ford Motor Co. is upset by the release of an Internet advertisement that depicts the decapitation of a computer-animated cat by a power moonroof hatch, saying it didn't authorize the clip.

The ad for the Sportka, a hatchback sold in Europe, shows the realistic-looking orange cat climbing on top of the car and poking its head into the open moonroof, The Detroit News reported Sunday. The hatch slides closed, the cat struggles briefly and its headless body slides to the ground.

Ford says the clip was conceived without its approval by ad agency Ogilvy & Mather as part of a "viral marketing" campaign for the Sportka. "Viral marketing," a type of e-mail marketing, is the electronic version of word of mouth, usually inviting recipients to forward an e-mail to others.

"We find this unauthorized ad totally unacceptable and reprehensible and deplore the fact that it has been unofficially issued," Ford spokesman Oscar Suris said.

Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide issued a statement saying it also didn't sanction the commercial, which was leaked onto the Internet on April 1.

"Both companies find this unofficial advertisement totally unacceptable and reprehensible," the statement said. "The action in the video clip was totally computer generated, and we would like to assure you that no animal was harmed in its making."

[r9etb]

There's no way that that is an ACTUAL decapitation.

True. No blood, for example.

It is not, however, "hilarious," merely stupid and infantile.

[Diddle E. Squat]

They would have been better off having the car entice the cat into the engine via an open hood, which soon closes, and then fur is seen flying out from the grill. Implied versus simulation.

The pigeon one is hilarious, though.

[smith288]

Lighten up...geez. Its a computer generated decapitation. There is no way a firm could get away with really killing a cat for a commercial...think people!

[mgc1122]

In an age where real babies are hacked to pieces with the full support of the law, seeing a computer generated cat or pigeon get the chop is a low priority.

[Constitution Day]

Ain't that the sad truth!

[hookman]

I don't think it's the cat "lovers" you need to worry about.
I am beginning to feel sorry for the car.

[Diddle E. Squat]

So is the corpse considered to be kitty litter?

[nuconvert]

I Know it's Not decapitation. PLease read my post #35.

That cat is definitely struggling to get free.
I guess that's supposed to be the funny part.
How about we stick a dog's head in there? Or a kid's head?
Is it getting funnier, now?

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Bump for later read.

[smith288]

That cat is definitely struggling to get free.
I guess that's supposed to be the funny part.
How about we stick a dog's head in there? Or a kid's head?
Is it getting funnier, now?

Well, I wouldnt condone if it was a kid for obvious reasons...but a dog would be funny. Come to think of it, lets get that gay dancing baby to get its head lopped off...
Have you ever watched a movie where a person gets shot? Where is your FR posts regarding those events?

Are you trying to prevent me from making up my own mind whether I should see it or not by trying to get the Mods to pull this?

[hookman]

Is it getting funnier, now?

how about a moose head?

[Conservomax]

I saw it...It doesn't look fake to me. It's animal cruelty.

Yep, you know what? You're right. The multi-million dollar ad agency with their $12000 editing systems and $8000 worth of video editing software which being are used by highly skilled video producers being paid $60000 a year - who are capable of making Lord Of The Rings level special effects, went out and bought a tabby at a cat store and cut it's head off with a sunroof.
Hell, I bet they even had their intern clean up the mess.

I wonder how many takes it took to get the cat's head in the sunroof. I'll bet at least one or two of the cat decapatations went poorly (ie: maybe the carcases didn't bounce right or maybe the 4 INCH LONG RAZOR BALDES needed for a sunroof to actually slice through a cat's bone and tendons and vascualar tissue malfunctioned!).
Yeah those bastards probably massacred a whole sack full of kitties.

TRUST ME: The cat is

FAKE!

Do you think the bird one is real too?

[Conservomax]

Dear sir or Madam,

You raise an intersting point. I have an idea, please stick your head into an open sunroof - and be sure to tape it, then compress it into a web-ready video format (preferable quicktime or Windows media) and post it on line. Then we can decide if it is funny or not.

Be careful to not activate the sunroof with your head in there. Sunroofs have, afterall, been known to decapitate thousands of living things each month.

They are the most wicked instrument of death ever concieved by man.

[InvisibleChurch]

it's not real

[nuconvert]

nope. You can watch it all day long.............

I just don't think the links should be condoned. If someone wants to personally send you the link in your mail, that's fine. But I don't think FR should be condoning animal cruelty ( and the cat is Definitely trying to struggle - that's NOT computer generated) by providing the links. The mods got sick of the J. Jackson links, right? If your freeper friend wants to send you offensive links in freepmail, fine. Have a ball........

[nuconvert]

"Well, I wouldnt condone if it was a kid for obvious reasons...but a dog would be funny"

So watching a dog struggle to get free would be funny?
Hmmm........and you profess to be a christian. I see......

[nuconvert]

Apparently, you're reading-comprehension-challenged.

[Diddle E. Squat]

(sigh)

The humor is not in watching the cat struggle, or the decapitation. The humor is in the concept of absurd revenge, such as when the bad guy in a movie or TV show gets beaten in an over-the-top slapstick manner. Trust me, most of the people who see humor in these ads would also be outraged and vocal if someone actually did decapitate a cat. We don't want that to happen. But there is humor in imagining a form of revenge on things that cause us annoyance, such as with birds that poop on or cats that get pawprints all over our cars. The more absurd, the more humorous, because then it is safe to assume that it would never take place. Hence a car that has an evil mind of its own is ptoentially funny, because of course that can never occur in real life.

I think a funny image is flushing Hillary's head in the toilet. But if given the chance, even if no one would know and I could get away with it scot free, I would never do such a thing, it is just wrong. Yet it sure is a funny image to joke about.

But I'll grant you this, it is probably is wise to express that any sort of actual animal cruelty is dispicable.

[RichInOC]

Perhaps the guys who made the commercial should have put a trail of "Cat Fud" signs leading up to the moonroof.

[Conservomax]

I don't get what you're saying. </sarcasm>