LOS ANGELES—While the Summer Olympics proved a resounding success for NBC in terms of viewers and commercial-generated revenue, one advertiser didn’t fare so well in light of a controversy over the content of a spot that ran during the Games. The commercial was "A Boy’s Dream" for the Chevrolet Corvette via Campbell-Ewald, Warren, Mich.
Reaction to the ad from several consumer and safety groups was a prime factor that caused General Motors to pull the ad off the air last week. Indeed, "Dream" turned into a nightmare for GM. While the spot is a visual tour de force—directed by Guy Ritchie via bicoastal Anonymous Content, with computer animation and special effects by Venice, Calif.-based Digital Domain—the storyline and exhilarating automotive performance scenes involving an underage driver raised the ire of such organizations as Consumers Union, the Consumer Federation of America, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, and the Center for Auto Safety.
The commercial depicted the sheet-metal fantasy of a boy who is clearly too young to have a driver’s license. We see him putting the high-powered Corvette sports car through its paces, which includes taking the car airborne, all to the tune of the Rolling Stones’ "Jumpin’ Jack Flash."
The ad contained a disclaimer, noting that drivers must have valid licenses and should obey all traffic laws. However, that disclaimer—which also described the action as a dream sequence—didn’t wash with the safety and consumer organizations.
The aforementioned consumer/safety groups wrote a joint letter to GM voicing their objections to "A Boy’s Dream." In that letter—as reported in The Los Angeles Times—the groups described the ad as being "certainly among the most dangerous, anti-safety messages to be aired on national television in recent years."
On the flip side, a couple of industry vets not associated with the spot told SHOOT that "A Boy’s Dream" was clearly just that—a dream—and was being taken too seriously by its detractors. But these particular defenders of the ad requested anonymity, saying they didn’t want to face any repercussions from being on the side of political incorrectness.
Campbell-Ewald declined comment on the matter. Chevrolet spokesperson Noreen Pratscher said that the letter from the advocacy groups, as well as other negative viewer feedback, prompted the decision to take "A Boy’s Dream" off the air. At the same time, she noted that there was also positive feedback from viewers who felt the ad was fun and entertaining. Nonetheless, the prospects aren’t bright for the spot returning to television. "I cannot see us putting it back on air," said Pratscher.
