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Virgin ads removed for being “too provocative”
Virgin Mobile is one of those brands that actually take risks when it comes to advertising. Even their contests are bold, out there and incredibly fun.
Across Canada you’ll see the their latest ad campaign “Hook Up Fearlessly” plastered on billboards and bus stations. The ads show couples making out in unique areas. Over in Calgary the bus ads were removed after customers took offense to them, or as Calgary Transit spokesman Ron Collins said “were a little bit too provocative”.
Virgin Mobile spokesman Nathan Rosenberg said “It’s quite interesting for us because these are the sorts of images people are bombarded with every day. We don’t think that we’re actually doing anything that encourages people not to express their love in a healthy relationship or in a healthy kind of way”.
** Update: Mississauga has now also pulled the ads. By the amount of press this story is getting they will not need to spend money on bus ads, which probably in Virgin eyes is a very successful campaign.
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19 comments for “Virgin ads removed for being “too provocative””
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I liked those ads. Well not the gay ones but the other ones.
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No surprises. Albertas becoming so right wing and theocratic its about to become fascist. I guess this violates community standards where you are bullied into doing what others want and expect you to do. The ads probably weren’t family oriented, white focused and christian enough.
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The ads don’t bother me in the slightest but I suspect the combination of angels and gay imagery was too much for Canada’s Bible Belt.
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hahahaha too funny! It really doesn’t surprise me one bit that Calgary of all places finds it offensive. A little too much to handle for their conservative eyes. It’s funny cause I was waiting in a bus booth in Montreal with my sister a couple weeks ago and we saw the very same ad. We were talking about how it’s cool that Montrealers just accept something like that as part of society and that this ad would probably be frowned upon in other parts of the country. It looks like we were proven right!
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There would be ZERO issue with this if the person with the angel wings was a woman.. I guess we shouldn’t expect Alberta to be open-minded about something like that though..
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Hey uh… thanks for the Calgary-bashing in full swing.
I live in Calgary. I have no issues with these ads. In fact, I’m going to complain to CT that they took them down… and I’m not some card-carrying member of the LGBT movement. I’m simply sick of the fact Alberta gets this view as a bunch of redneck backwards bible thumpers.
I’m a Caucasian, heterosexual male who is married with a young child conceived under wedlock and lives in Calgary. I’m also an Atheist and have homosexual friends – one who was at my marriage ceremony to celebrate the public union of my wife and I.
Now everyone in Calgary is like that, and I’m disappointed all of you think that way.
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I almost feel sorry for the narrow-minded Albertans. It is the Canadian version of the American Bible belt!
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I’m from Calgary as well and didn’t see these anywhere, so there must have been very few of them to begin with. In all honesty, I don’t really need to see anyone making out, whether at the bus stop, at the mall or on a poster, but whatever. The ad is far less provacative than what we see on television. We live in North America where a little something called freedom of expression exists, and should be embraced – no pun intended. If you don’t like it, don’t stare at it. I mean it’s not like Calgary Transit can’t use the advertising revenue or anything. They really should have better sense.
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Wow good to see everyone stereotyping because a ‘few’ of the 1 million Calgarians took offense.
I too live in Calgary I think these adds were no worse than we is shown on prime time television and its a disgrace that they were removed.
I would also highly disagree that Alberta is the Canadian ‘Bible belt’, my entire family and almost all my friends are either atheist or apathetic.
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Alberta is the TEXAS of Canada. Way to conservative and closed minded. People need to get comfortable with the fact that there are gays out there and there is nothing wrong with it. They aren’t harming anyone! I’m a straight guy, and it doesn’t bother me at all, in fact I find it kind of edgy and fun and would actually draw my attention which in turn would make me much more likely to purchase their product. Hey, Alberta we are all living in the 21st century! I suggest you come join us!!
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I’m not saying everyone there is like that, but for those ads to be removed, clearly the majority of people too offense to it and need to get over themselves.
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Wow, now everyone thinks people living in Calgary are rednecks.
I didn’t leave my neighborhood for 2 weeks, are these ads nationwide?
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Wow you people who are bashing Calgarians, need to come visit us before you critisize, sure there may be people like that…but I bet you any amount of money that there are people like that in the east and throughout Canada. And yes I am Calgarian.
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Retard Nation…
Retard Nation…
Retard Nation…
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It’s not enough that Canada is one of the most retarded counties in the word in wireless technology….
Now they want to be proud of their retardation….
Don’t feel bad…. As long as Tim Horton’s is around the corner and Maple Leafs is on TV….be happy nation….Your retardation will save you….
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i noticed mobile syrup changed the pictures thats the one calgary is appearntly pulling (and the one with the guy angel kissing the guy) to be fair i thought that campaign was too risque a month ago when they had the idiots just walk around on the top of skyscapers and on s constuction sites while texting in the ad and its not just calgary transit, missauga transit also has pulled the same ads
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Wow, you people bashing Alberta are more ignorant that you believe us to be. There are people all over the world that may take offence to that, not just in Alberta.
Personally, I like to see ads like these that aren’t boring or stereotypical.
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Where’re the GAY adds? I haven’t even seen them.
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Why do we continually shove sex down the throats of children in Canada? As an adult, the ads do nothing for me but think about the kids who have to grow up seeing sex 24/7. Yes, it is a natural thing and is a part of life but let the kids grow up and enjoy the life that most of us wouldn’t, at the moment, mind trading for.
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