Foxtel apologises for ‘lapse of judgement’ over bestiality billboard and takes it down
Foxtel is pulling down a controversial Studio billboard less than 24 hours after it was erected to promote the relaunch of the arts channel.
The poster – in Sydney’s Kings cross – featured a fictional British prime minister preparing to have sex with a pig. The scene comes from the dark British series Black Mirror. The episode featured the social media storm following the kidnapping of a British princess with the ransom demand that the British PM has sex with the animal live on TV
The subscription TV platform has apologised, labelling the poster “appalling taste” and a lapse of judgement.
WTH Foxtel. Spoiler for Black Mirror much??
Top marks for saying “erected” rather than “installed”.
Houston? We have a problem.
So ‘Studio’ at Foxtel can put up billboards like this without the official ‘Foxtel’ knowing? I don’t think so. They must have wanted to attract the perverts and then act all ‘innocent’.
And WTF in terms of advertising standards??? How did this even get up in the first place? Goes to show whatever kind of checks and balances are in place for advertising are clearly failing.
I’m more amazed at the lack of outrage…
Very disappointing this had to come down. It never ceases to amaze me how the voice of only a few manages to rule that of the majority. A man in trousers stood behind a pig is less offensive than a group of models in their underwear posing seductivly. Those billboards are everywhere advertising underwear or perfume. The bible bashers don’t seem to fussed about them?
this went up in kings cross. hardly sacred ground.
I’m amazed the the christian lobby haven’t already blamed this on the legalisation of gay marriage in NZ.
I was very concerned when I saw this as the last time I was in Kings X, I also had sex with a pig and thought that maybe someone had taken photos. Relieved that it’s only a show and will definitely be tuning in for tips
Well it was short-lived but certainly grabbed a lot of attention.
That is a very attractive pig. How romantic.
This is a metaphor for Foxtel. Bad taste.
By any common measure of decency, this billboard (and the show it promotes, for that matter) is in very poor taste and not reflective of the standards the community in general should accept.
For an small minority of some communities, this type of activity and advertising such *may* be acceptable.
Personally when people resort to such measures it is an act of desperation and lack of talent.
I didn’t find it offensive. It’s a screen grab from a show. Big deal. What I do find offensive are all those billboards around pronouncing that “Jesus is the answer” or such other tripe.
I want these signs taken down. They are in poor taste and I think offend the majority of sensible Australians who don’t have imaginary friends.
MattP, have you actually seen the show in question? It’s hardly depicted in poor taste at all. Considering the subject matter, the episode actually handles it with considerable restraint and maturity.
The billboard was sensationalistic nonsense, but don’t use it as an excuse to bash one of the best hours of TV in 2012.
@ MattP
Clearly you haven’t watched the show…
Why is it when a bunch of Christians jump up and down, we start pulling down posters in an attempt to ‘save’ our kids, but when a few Muslims jump up and down about something they find offensive to their religion, we tap their phones and monitor their movements?
Just saying…
Yet another innovative campaign from up-and-coming PR agency Australian Christian Lobby. ACL huffs and puffs about protecting our nation’s children or something and its client, Foxtel, gains wall-to-wall media coverage. All for the price of a single billboard, now that’s what I call ROI!
Way to amplify the eyeballs. Does this count as “earned media”?
Hello PR stunt…. and a good one
Perhaps the ACL response to this billboard could spark a new channel on Foxtel – the Christian Comedy Channel – broadcasting the endless stream of dumb dumb stuff Christians say and do around the world – from Fred Phelps to Fred Nile it will have audiences in stitches.
I should be a content producer. Oh wait..
No one is concerned by the use of “WTF”?
The pig f*cking is unacceptable.. but the WTF doesn’t rate a mention? interesting
I live in the Cross andf I liked the billboard (and the stunt).
How about all the christian bashing going on here? Seriously, rational people, if that was allowed all over Sydney, it would be highly offensive. Risky of Foxtel to put up in KX but they obviously thought that the morally wrong would find it kind of amusing and might get away with it. For 24 hours. Rather pathetic way to spend ad dollars. A massive waste of print and poster erection money.
Just for you ‘zeffd’ and all the other people too quick to blame the demise of this load of rubbish on the Christian lobby – I’m no Christian, but I am the father of a 12 year old girl and I don’t need or want this type of crap being displayed in a public place for all the world to see. What you and anyone else does in private is your business. What you do in public is everyone’s business.
I’ve never found that being offensive is a good idea, or a good replacement for one.
If we saw such a scene in the street, would we be shocked, offended and indignant?
Mostly on behalf of the pig? The answer is yes (unless you’re a contrarian with too much time on your hands).
Just because it’s on a poster doesn’t mean it’s o.k. It’s still in the view of all and if we insisted on grabbing strangers in the street and showing them pictures that were offensive, we’d probably be locked up. And rightly so.
I’ve run creative copywriting workshops for Foxtel in past years and anyone who has participated in them would know the difference between engaging an audience with an idea and repelling an audience because they don’t have one. It’s a pity the current crop of producers and writers at Foxtel haven’t had the chance to attend my workshops this year.
cc: the pig
Roseanna Donovan
Redwords Pty. Ltd.
Way to go Foxtel on completely missing the point of Black Mirror
Studio Channel had a 0.0 share of viewing last night…
“failure in the approvals process at Foxtel” – what utter bullshit, funny how the brand specs are all there and accurate……
to your point motley, you could argue that studio is just the messenger here. black mirror paints a bleak future that is a little too close to the present for comfort. while I wouldn’t feel comfortable explaining the ad to my 10 year old daughter, black mirror raises a ton of issues, invasive advertising being one just one of them, that we shouldn’t be afraid to discuss.
for those of you who think this was a conspiracy by Foxtel to generate controversy…you CLEARLY don’t know how big corporations work. You’re giving Foxtel waaaay too much credit.
@ Kim – the brand specs are accurate because each affliate channel are given them. Trust me, this is a breakdown in communication, pure & simple 😛
Why does it always come back to “I don’t want to explain that to my child.” Is there some kind of collective amnesia in patent land that makes you all forget what you knew and instinctively understood as a ten year old? Your kid is not going to be scarred for life by the image of a man standing behind a pig and has probably seen, heard and said just about everything you think you are protecting them from.
Foxtel, indeed have an approval process whereby all campaigns done by Channels must be first approved by Foxtel. Foxtel also has a department whose aim is to liaise with Channels regularly and be across all their upcoming marketing campaigns. So, yes this is a failure on Foxtel’s side. That said the campaign – idea and production was all Studio. But had Foxtel’s people been doing their jobs, they could have pulled the plug before this fiasco happened.
so was this a success? any viewing figures for the show?