General Motors (GM) Africa has decided to stop flighting two televsion advertisements after the Family Policy Institute (FPI) complained that they were “anti-family”.
The “Red Tag Event” adverts were withdrawn following a discussion between GM Marketing Manager Melanie Maddux and FPI president Errol Naidoo this afternoon, GM Communications Manager Denise van Huysteen confirmed. She said Naidoo was told that the company had consulted with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) prior to flighting the adverts and had been given their go-ahead to do so. She said that following Naidoo’s complaint, GM decided that after tonight’s showings the adverts would no longer be screened.
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In a letter to GM, Naidoo said the offensive adverts made light of the serious issues of adultery and incest and appeared to approve of employees who put the company ahead of their families. He said the FPI requested that GM immediately withdraw the campaign or face a nationwide boycott from pro-family consumers.
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I am very glad. At least somebody has a heart for families. Dominion Family Church
I support that. Very often we are too busy to even source that channel or medium through which we can complain. Often we watch these adverts, feel the discomfort but then it leaves us and we forget while busy with our day-to -day tasks. So, we thank the FPI for the work they do. We can for a moment, breathe a sigh of relief.
PS – it would be a good idea for churches to include these website links into their newsletters so that more christian can become informed as to what is going on.
Thanks,
Melanie Britow
Thanks to Errol Naidoo and the FPI for being a voice for family values.
Well done Errol, as always you are a Champion for society at large. Saddest of all, the people that own and run these ad companies. I hope GM had a retainer that they can withhold for poor and immoral adds
That is why we need Worklife Ministries in the local church so that Christians in the ad agencies will understand their role at work as people of faith.
The GM Red Tag adverts leave a bad taste in my mouth and I often comment how sad the situation actually is. I grew up in a house where my father was ever-absent and the damage it does to a daughter’s life and future relationships is irreparable. Thank you Errol, I need to become more like you.
Family values seriously eroded daily by such media. A cancer ever growing in our country. What amazes me is how such an ad got past the top brass at GM. Are we to understand that family is of no concern to them?
Thank you Errol and FPI for good
work done for christian society.
Keep on doing so. We need somebody like FPI to stand for the good. I salute you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thank you Errol for doing what the rest of us are too apathetic or busy to do! God has surely raised you and Arlene up for such a time as this!
Thank you GM for heeding the complaint. I trust that your staff do hve time to spend with their families.
Well done Errol – we as Christians stand with you against these anti-faimly/Christian attacks! Bless you and your family.
I add my thanks too to GM for taking the complaint seriously. May your business and families be blessed for your decision!
Thank you FPI and GM, I really was not happy viewing the adverts. Yes I also pray that the families of GM do spend time with their families. Life is so short, building RELATIONSHIPS is so important.
I would like to thank GM for acting in such a possitive way, when mr Naidoo brought these ads to your attention. Thank you Errol for keeping watch. The blessings of the Most Holy God to the Naidoo family and the families of GM.
Wow, such good news. Thank you, thank you !
The Family Policy Institute is doing great work! Well done to Errol and his team.
I definitely won’t miss those advertisements on TV…
I look forward to GM’s new, fresh and fun advertisements.
Every time I saw one of those ads aired I was angry. Thank you GM for withdrawing them as they seriously eroded family values. I honour those who took a stand!
Thank you, Errol, for being the voice of the silent majority. You have the courage and backbone that I lack.Thank you, GM, for heeding the call to remove the ads.
I was so glad to read about the good news, but tonight – 8 March 2011, it was advertised again on SABC 2 ?? (Around 7de Laan time)
Thanks for letting us know Nita. I will follow up with GM – Andre Viljoen
Thank you Ps. Errol for being obedient to the call of God. Thank you for being the light and the salt of earth. Thank you GM for being teachable.
Hello Errol, Thanks for being a mouthpiece for us all. A few years ago the churches in USA worked together to combat this sort of thing, by boycotting any company that advertised on a TV programme that aired offensive material, after having been asked to remove it. It worked!