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Very sadly this ad has just been banned in the UK. The UK regulator's statement [0] said that the criteria for banning it was that it was "An advertisement whic

Very sadly this ad has just been banned in the UK. The UK regulator's statement [0] said that the criteria for banning it was that it was "An advertisement which is inserted by or on behalf of a body whose objects are wholly or mainly of a political nature." Greenpeace are the body in question who created the video and have apparently been screening it on their website. Iceland (the retail organisation not the country) would have been showing it on their behalf as their Christmas ad, where I think it could have been very effective in nudging public opinion. [0] https://www.clearcast.co.uk/press/iceland-advert/ https://www.clearcast.co.uk/press/iceland-advert/

growse 8y ago
I'm not sure I'd call it 'very sad'. We have very strict rules about political advertising in the UK, and I'm pleased that they get upheld. In any case, the ad seems to be having no trouble reaching people.
- tomp 8y ago
  It’s not political, it’s an appeal to morality. Just like ads to support e.g. children’s hospitals, which I see all the time on UK TV. Banning this ad is highly hypocritical.
  - growse 8y ago
    Read Clearcast's opinion again. It has nothing to do with the fact that the content was political, but because it contravened a very specific rule about one organisation running a political message on behalf of another.
  - 7952 8y ago
    Morality is a central part of politics though. We like to think that the environment can be scientific and apolitical. But that is not the case. Caring about the rainforest or whatever is a political choice. We don't have to do anything. And environmental politics is always about projecting that morality onto other people who may not agree with you. That is why it is necessary to observe the niceties of democratic society. And really the politicisation of these kind of issues ia better than apathy.
DanBC 8y ago
Clearcast aren't the regulator, that would be ASA. Notice that Clearcast wouldn't have recommended against the ad if it had been created by Iceland. Iceland are allowed to create ads saying "we've stopped using palm oil, and here's why". This is, in short, a transparent marketing ploy.
- KineticLensman 8y ago
  > Clearcast aren't the regulator, that would be ASA. You are right, Clearcast is an NGO [0]. It's not the regulator, but "Broadcasters make private arrangements through Clearcast to secure public law objectives". > Notice that Clearcast wouldn't have recommended against the ad if it had been created by Iceland. I had noticed that :-), it's the exact statement in the the Clearcast announcement I linked to. > This is, in short, a transparent marketing ploy. One which seems to have been very successful for all concerned. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clearcast https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clearcast
simonbarker87 8y ago
It’s a brilliant marketing step. They knew it would get banned but would only make them look good compared to the regulator, as a result it got way more media coverage than the ad would have got on it’s own, Iceland is going through a real period of change with its new managing director/CEO and this is a manifestion if that.
- reaperducer 8y ago
  Reminds me of how The Police were famously "Banned by the BBC!" Stewart Copland was on Sirius recently saying that the band was never banned, it was just a marketing gimmick thought by the record company to sell more albums. And it worked.
  - KineticLensman 8y ago
    There are some really interesting reasons that the BBC have banned records [0], including 'might be offensive to other stutterers', 'might remind listeners of scud missiles', 'broadcasting of an SOS in Morse code', 'too morbid', 'the claim the Second World War began in 1941' and 'nauseating piece of material' [0] https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/46f837da-9ffa-494d-94e7-c7ffb0781bea https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/46f837da-9ffa-494d-94e7...

growse 8y ago

I'm not sure I'd call it 'very sad'. We have very strict rules about political advertising in the UK, and I'm pleased that they get upheld. In any case, the ad seems to be having no trouble reaching people.

tomp 8y ago
It’s not political, it’s an appeal to morality. Just like ads to support e.g. children’s hospitals, which I see all the time on UK TV. Banning this ad is highly hypocritical.
- growse 8y ago
  Read Clearcast's opinion again. It has nothing to do with the fact that the content was political, but because it contravened a very specific rule about one organisation running a political message on behalf of another.
- 7952 8y ago
  Morality is a central part of politics though. We like to think that the environment can be scientific and apolitical. But that is not the case. Caring about the rainforest or whatever is a political choice. We don't have to do anything. And environmental politics is always about projecting that morality onto other people who may not agree with you. That is why it is necessary to observe the niceties of democratic society. And really the politicisation of these kind of issues ia better than apathy.

DanBC 8y ago

Clearcast aren't the regulator, that would be ASA. Notice that Clearcast wouldn't have recommended against the ad if it had been created by Iceland. Iceland are allowed to create ads saying "we've stopped using palm oil, and here's why". This is, in short, a transparent marketing ploy.

KineticLensman 8y ago
> Clearcast aren't the regulator, that would be ASA. You are right, Clearcast is an NGO [0]. It's not the regulator, but "Broadcasters make private arrangements through Clearcast to secure public law objectives". > Notice that Clearcast wouldn't have recommended against the ad if it had been created by Iceland. I had noticed that :-), it's the exact statement in the the Clearcast announcement I linked to. > This is, in short, a transparent marketing ploy. One which seems to have been very successful for all concerned. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clearcast https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clearcast

simonbarker87 8y ago

It’s a brilliant marketing step. They knew it would get banned but would only make them look good compared to the regulator, as a result it got way more media coverage than the ad would have got on it’s own, Iceland is going through a real period of change with its new managing director/CEO and this is a manifestion if that.

reaperducer 8y ago
Reminds me of how The Police were famously "Banned by the BBC!" Stewart Copland was on Sirius recently saying that the band was never banned, it was just a marketing gimmick thought by the record company to sell more albums. And it worked.
- KineticLensman 8y ago
  There are some really interesting reasons that the BBC have banned records [0], including 'might be offensive to other stutterers', 'might remind listeners of scud missiles', 'broadcasting of an SOS in Morse code', 'too morbid', 'the claim the Second World War began in 1941' and 'nauseating piece of material' [0] https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/46f837da-9ffa-494d-94e7-c7ffb0781bea https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/46f837da-9ffa-494d-94e7...