Networks Pull Frank Thomas Blue Jays Ad

April 5, 2007, 2:40 PM | 3 Comments

Can someone please tell me exactly what is wrong with this commercial?

This ad, featuring Frank Thomas (the new designated hitter for Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays), is one in a series of ads promoting the 2007 baseball season. This is the 2^nd or 3^rd year that ads like this have been produced to promote the Toronto Blue Jays. Some of them are funny, some of them are just plain dumb, but this one in particular is pretty good I think. Never though (at least to my knowledge) have the ads been a source of controversy… until now.

In the ad, Thomas runs up stairs to tell “his kids” (played by actors) who are in the middle of a rowdy pillow fight to go to bed. One of the kids then whacks Thomas in the chest with his pillow to which Thomas replies “Oh yeah?!” and then proceeds to take the pillow from the kid, and return the favour. The child then flies off the bed and onto the floor and then Thomas runs out of the room—home-run-trot style—with a smile on his face. After he leaves the room, the kid pops up from the floor behind the bed and with a look of amazement on his face says “whoa” as if in awe of Thomas’s power.

The entire ad is light-hearted and funny but apparently the fact that a child gets knocked off his bed and onto the floor by Frank Thomas’s pillow makes the commercial unacceptable. Every network in Canada will be airing an edited version of the commercial, except for the CBC (which is publicly owned and therefore has the right to set its own standards).

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m flat out against any form of child abuse, but there’s a difference between abuse and having some fun with dad. Most boys love to rough-house with pop, it’s just part of growing up. I personally see no reason that this ad needed to be pulled, or even edited.

The Television Bureau of Canada had other thoughts though, and deemed the ad inappropriate. In a story by CTV News, Laurel Lindsay, the Toronto Blue Jays vice-president of marketing had this to say about the ad:

I certainly respect the role of a telecaster in permitting ads to go to air, I certainly respect the process. But we were caught off guard by a pillow fight somehow being deemed aggressive or the child being put in harm’s way.

We took precautionary measures, especially having the child pop up at the end to say “wow” and marvel at Frank’s ability, to ensure we showed the audience at home it was all done in good faith. Frank smiles. It was meant truly as a pillow fight.

Even Frank Thomas said he made sure the ad was light-hearted because he didn’t want people to think he’s a violent person. Thomas has three kids of his own and said he was shocked by the reaction.

I personally hadn’t seen the ad on TV yet, but heard about the controversy on the radio and decided to do a little digging to see it for myself. Thank God for YouTube. After watching the ad I can’t help but think that people are really over-reacting to this. What do you think?

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Posted in: Advertising, Sports