Dr Mumbo

Off the deep end

Welcome to Dr Mumbo’s favourite time of the month: mad Ad Standards Board complaints.

Today’s victim? CommBank – and its ad featuring Olympic swimmer James Magnussen.

Or as the complainant puts it:

“This ad involves four people in costumes depicting CAN and T respectively. C A and N are in a group and the person in the in the T costume walks backwards over a cliff.

“I find this offensive and potentially dangerous from two perspectives. Firstly that as person in the in the T costume was walking slowly backwards a cliff there is a reasonable expectation the C A and N would try to avoid T from falling over the cliff.

“And secondly that if T did fall over the cliff that C A and N would check if T was ok and offer assistance as required.As this is an ad for the Commonwealth bank I believe it shows that the bank CAN but does not necessarily care for others.

“I believe that sending a message to those people that it is ok to let a cohort fall off a cliff and not to look after them is ok. I believe this is the wrong message to send to anyone and contravenes community standards and health and safety considerations.

“I have been a loyal customer of the Commonwealth bank since 1975.”

The ASB ruled: “The scenario is clearly fictitious and staged.”

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