Blue Jay Commercial Yanked From Canadian Television
This Blue Jays commercial has been pulled by the Television Bureau of Canada, the body that regulates private television advertising. While the TBC won't give specifics, this version of the ad didn't get approval until the part where the kid getting smacked by a pillow-wielding Frank Thomas was edited out (and without that, really, what's the point?).
The company that made the spot has said that it's ridiculous to see this as an act of family violence. Personally, I'm in agreement with the Jay's marketing VP who said, "I think we are taking ourselves a little too seriously if we're saying a pillow fight cannot air because it's viewed as too aggressive...".
You'll still see the unedited ad on the CBC - our public broadcaster is not covered by TBC rules and didn't seem to mind the unedited spot.
Comments (11)
It's a great ad with a great sense of humour and the fact that it's kicked up this sh**storm is just ludicrous. TBC should try a pillow fight sometime, it might loosen them up.
I dunno. I think that ad is pretty weak. The Blue Jays/Frank Thomas is an easy product to market and the ad agency showed a distict lack of creative thinking on this one. Further, they should have anticipated that smacking a kid across the room would raise concerns.
Maybe the problem lies in the delivery. Clearly no one thinks that a father/son pillow fight is going to suggest that violence is condoned.
The problem: the plot and tone here aren't portraying a fun, spontaneous father/son pillow fight. It's the element of discipline that's conveyed. Thomas cranks the kid with a pillow on his visit to put them to bed, after catching them playing, and then being antagonized. The fact that he does theis, then trots off is clearly an anology to his instinct at the plate, but I can see why some (very sensitive) types might think it's worth pulling off the air.
The previous commercial, with the pinata being cranked over the fence at a kids party was a safer analogy to the same effect.
Kevin and NMS should send an invite to Frank and the TBC to the next Dundas Square pillow fight!
The thing is, cranking a pinata over a fence isn't nearly as funny as whacking someone across the room with a pillow. Does this make me a bad person to find this funny? It's just slapstick. I'm not going to go hitting my kids because I saw this ad.
It's supposed to be an over the top scenario, just like all these ads. Obviously this isn't something that he would actually do. How about the one where the guy pegs the bee's nest in the tree? That one isn't that nice either!
The first time you see the ad, it's funny. But after seeing it a few times, you'll become a drone and go around smashing kids on the street, and we can't have that. BAN IT! ;) hehe
What I don't understand is the subtext.
Maybe it's just the way I'm wired, because I find that, with a lot of ads these days, I ask these questions that I KNOW the advertiser doesn't want me asking.
I KNOW the intention is to show that the Blue Jays are consumate competitors, with no question.
However, all the ads say to ME is that the current line up of The Toronto Blue Jays are assholes!
HAHAHA I guess I'm just a cynical dick.
I'm glad it got banned.
While I love a good pillowfight, showing a father (and a big man at that) whacking his little son clear off the bed sends the wrong message.
What does this have to do with baseball? Clearly, the ad writers could've come up with something a little more appropriate.
I think this ad fits in quite nicely when you see it along with the Halladay and the Overbay ads of the same ilk...
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