|
What were they thinking?
|
 |
December 17, 1997: 10:46 a.m. ET
Leo Burnett canned after controversy over racially charged TV spot
|
NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., the nation's largest tire company, fired the advertising agency responsible for creating a controversial TV ad criticized as racially insensitive.
The Akron, Ohio-based company said it yanked the account, estimated at $25 million, from Chicago-based Leo Burnett Co. The closely held agency was responsible for Asia as well as the Latin American region.
The fallout follows Tuesday's apology issued by Goodyear to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People over a Peruvian commercial comparing the strength of a Goodyear tire to a black man's lips.
"We thought it was a huge error in judgment in terms of the ad itself, which was completely unacceptable," said Chris Aked, company spokesman.
In addition, Goodyear has reviewed parts of its global marketing process to insure proper oversight in the future, Aked said.
"We wanted to put in place systems to prevent this from happening again," he said.
"So we've now instructed every operation around the globe that the highest ranking person must sign off on every ad," he added.
Leo Burnett officials were not available for comment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Goodyear
|
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
External sites are not endorsed by CNNmoney
|
|
|
|
 |
|
