Censored TV Spots

These socially-minded public service spots were rejected by big broadcasters.

18 comments Admin , 09 Apr 2009 Duration: 0:00

Buy Nothing Day Pig

Big Mac

Network Rejections

Listen to the network rejections to get a taste of how the unelected and unaccountable gatekeepers of the public airwaves really operate.

CTV Rejection

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CanWest Rejection

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by Anonymous on April 25 2009, @11:14 pm Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the point is, they HAD the freaking money to run the ads, yet they were STILL rejected. Conservatives talk about money being freedom of speech, and this incident puts the lie to that idea. Americans NEED to be shocked, insulted, and berated. It might wake them up.

In response to hogey: The

by Anonymous on April 24 2009, @08:54 pm In response to hogey: The purpose of the ad IS to insult the audience in order to get them to care about the message. In doing so, it is asking viewers to separate themselves from the rest of the "American Pigs" that consume far more than necessary. Who wants to be associated with that? Not me. So, automatically, I am forced to say "that's gluttonous America, but this is consumer conscious me." If this is not the case for some viewers, they are then faced with the choice of whether they want to beat 'em or join 'em. Reverse psychology, perhaps. To be a pig or not to be a pig. THAT is the question.

*In regards to the “But

by Anonymous on April 24 2009, @01:47 pm *In regards to the "But nothing day pig" I'm sure someone has already mentioned this but isn't Mexico apart of North America. Just felt that this needed saying.

Yes, it is.

by Anonymous on April 24 2009, @08:56 pm Yes, it is.

*part

by Anonymous on April 24 2009, @01:50 pm *part

BIG MAC

by Anonymous on April 21 2009, @06:03 am BIG MAC IS HEALTHY!!!!!!!!!!!!

While I agree with the

by Jacob on April 16 2009, @02:03 pm While I agree with the general sentiment, I hope you guys can get enough funding to do some polling and focus groups to discover what will change human behavior. I fear these spots won't exactly do the trick....

mc donald is such a shit i

by dread on April 15 2009, @10:31 pm mc donald is such a shit i do not believe people pay so much money to eat that crap ... eat shit you fat americans !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and not only ...

So how many calories from

by Packerchu on April 15 2009, @01:24 am So how many calories from fat come from the fries?

EXCELLENT EXCELLENT!!! GO

by TODD on April 10 2009, @09:44 pm EXCELLENT EXCELLENT!!! GO GET'UM ADBUSTERS!!!!

So when the health care,

by Green on April 10 2009, @05:50 pm So when the health care, oil, electric, and banking industry are run by the government, instead of corporations, these problems of government inadequacy (such as unfairly dividing the radio spectrum) are going to dissapear?

Congratulations! Hopefully

by Anonymous on April 10 2009, @04:05 pm Congratulations! Hopefully a first step. Compelling idea that the airwaves are public space. Anyone who has read Jeremy Rifkin will recognize that monopolizing airwaves and communication channels is another version of owning and selling nature (i.e, land, airspace, oceans). If we pay attention, we see that genetic codes have been the great frontier for about 10 years (e.g., Big Pharma buying rights to DNA of plants of the Amazon.) I think the new frontier commodity is our attention. Right now, we all give it away for free. We should make advertisers buy it. Now, they pay the broadcasters but they should be paying the consumer. Anyway, keep up the fight. We own the airwaves. We own the government. We own our genes.

I don’t blame the tv

by Charlie on April 10 2009, @03:26 pm I don't blame the tv companies for not wanting to run these ads! These organisations might die, but you can't expect them to commit suicide. Btw, isn't this coming a bit late? I mean, who watches tv these days? And those that still do, have 900 channels to choose from. Everyone's watching a different channel. I'm glad about your victory but network tv is a sideshow these days. And will become so, more and more. Not wishing to be too critical, cos I am a fan, but while I'm here, what is the deal with "Buy nothing day"? I have a few of those every month - they come right before pay day! It doesn't reduce my footprint by an inch. How about "Buy much less - for life"? But but but, do keep up your great work, and I thank you very much for your loud and opinionated voice out there. Peace and love from Brick Lane x.

hogey i am sure you say that

by Anonymous on April 10 2009, @12:03 pm hogey i am sure you say that cause you are a pig yourself...

Well, I do live in North

by hogey on April 10 2009, @01:18 pm Well, I do live in North America and according to Adbusters that does make me a pig.

I agree with Adbusters. If

by Hector Moises on April 10 2009, @05:28 am I agree with Adbusters. If there´s freedom of speech, let it be so. Commertial interests must never be above community interest. Nevertheless, in any case, freedom of speech is reserved to those who have the money to pay an add, otherwise they can only shout in the streets, or mail comments like this, with the certainty that only a few will be reached, while big communication media continues to manipulate peoples´minds as much as they wish. The fact is that the TV in partcular, and news media in general, as they are now, mean a real dictatorship. They say, we must listen,no choice. For this reason, Adbusters, please go ahead... you represent a small hope of some fresh air....

Spot ON!

by videoVB on April 10 2009, @04:16 am Spot ON!

I’m a film student that is

by hogey on April 09 2009, @02:01 pm I'm a film student that is getting in to television broadcasting and I think your "Buy Nothing Day Pig" ad is flawed. You're insulting your audience and then expect them to care about your message. The ad is trying to use a shock tactic but it comes across as if you're berating me. After the first 15 seconds I couldn't care less what you are trying to say. I liked the Big Mac ad though. Informative for a 15 second ad. I wouldn't mind having those and others like it pop up on the television every now and then.