Gear

Anti-Suicide Group to GM: Kill the Robot Spot

Is it an extreme case of projection, or just another day at the office? Either way, the suicidal robot in GM’s Super Bowl ad has critics screaming "Jump!" According to Advertising Age: The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is a little upset with General Motors Corp. over the automaker’s Super Bowl XLI spot in which […]

Is it an extreme case of projection, or just another day at the office? Either way, the suicidal robot in GM's Super Bowl ad has critics screaming "Jump!" According to Advertising Age:

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is a little upset with General Motors Corp. over the automaker's Super Bowl XLI spot in which a GM factory robot — obsessed with quality — dreams it loses its job, becomes depressed and jumps off a bridge.

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Not all that funny, responded the suicide prevention group — perhaps recalling the human fallout from real-world waves of layoffs by automakers. The AFSP insisted that GM kill the ad wherever it appears, issue an apology, and "take steps to inform the public about mental illness and suicide." GM asked for time to "evaluate the situation." Will 72 hours do?

[Source: Advertising Age]