Comcast Puts Ad-Hoc Safety Group Ad in Review Process Hell

I don’t mind tripping the light fantastic with PR people. No journalist should expect to get the straight dope or the inside line from a person paid to protect his employer from the slightest ding to their rep. It’s the dark side. Deal. And here’s the deal with this story, wherein an ad hoc committee of lawyers created an ad taking New Chrysler and Old Soon-to-be-New GM to task for trying to walk away from post-C11 product liability.

After agreeing to air the ad 197 times in the D.C. area in exchange for $56,000, Comcast pulled the ad after 74 airings. This in response to emails and phone calls from General Motors. A major Comcast advertiser.

Comcast spokesman Chris Ellis: “We’ve pulled the ad temporarily so we can we can conduct a review of the claims in the ad.” How long might that take? “There’s not a specific time frame attached to the review process.” What is the process? “I’m not familiar with every step in the review process.” Can you describe it generally? “We don’t get into our business process.” Chris, can you lead for a while? No? OK, then. One and two and . . .

Did GM pressure you to pull the ad? “We don’t discuss our client relationships.” Did GM contact you requesting that you pull the ad? “I think GM’s made their position clear in their public statements.” So what was the problem with the ad, anyway? “We will not run ads that make claims that are unsubstantiated, false or misleading. We require substantiation for issue advertisements.” So why wasn’t the ad hoc ad vetted before it aired? “We’ve pulled the ad temporarily so we can we can conduct a review of the claims in the ad.” Hang on; isn’t this where I came in? Yup.

There’s no whiskey tango foxtrot here. GM bullied Comcast into removing the ad. Like Old GM with its $21 million LA Times advertising boycott, New GM is ready to silence its critics using its ad budget as leverage. The fact that this company is supported by my tax dollars is starting to turn my stomach. Again.

[ Click here to see the original ad. Click here to see GM’s email to Comcast.]