Steal This SUV; Ford of Canada Pulls Ad
Once upon a time, GM had to pull a TV spot for the Corvette because the media nannies thought it would encourage 10-year-olds to drive America's sports car recklessly. And now the Canadian Press reports that Ford's yanked a newspaper ad in Saskatchewan and Manitoba because the (thought?) police says it encourages auto theft. The full-page ad showed the rear of a Ford SUV with a bumper sticker that reads "Drive it like you stole it," with "Built for life in Manitoba" underneath. Ford of Canada spokeswoman Gina Gehlert has thrown herself on her PR sword (guaranteed non-fatal), saying "It was never our intention to offend anyone." But Gehlert refused to comment on whether the ad will appear in other markets or be reworked into something that doesn't lead Canadian youth into a lifetime of crime. May I suggest a bumper sticker that says "Drive it like you rented it?" No, that's not it. Any suggestions?
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How bout: Drive it like her dad's on the porch, waiting with a gun.... Drive it like you borrowed it from your yuppie brother-in-law...
Funny thing is that maybe 2 yrs back gov agencies forced Fiat to pull an add back, too. In it, a guy walks out of prison and as he turns the corner he sees the new Fiat car. His eyes shine, the curtain drops, company logos appear and you draw your own conclusion. Pretty funny and good at stressing just how highly desirable the car was. Anyhow, we have the nanny government pull it. Jeez, I saw a commercial and I'm gonna steal a car. I guess though we deserve the governments we get.
Drive it like it's a Honda.
Drive it like it's on under-inflated Firestones.