GetUp pulls ‘incredibly insensitive’ ad featuring ‘Tony Abbott’ watching someone drown
Activist group GetUp has been forced to admit an ad featuring a Tony Abbott lookalike watching on as someone drowns is “incredibly insensitive”.
The ad was due to begin airing in cinemas next week, but attracted criticism from the Royal Lifesavers group, particularly in light of tragic drownings over the Easter break.
The Abbott in the commercial is seen eating an onion on a beach chair, and holding a chunk of coal. When asked in the advertisement to assist with a drowning swimmer, he responded “I think you’ll find the science isn’t settled on that”.
The Abbott character also says “Why should we act first? I think I’ve given you the answer you deserve.”
GetUp! flogs.
Zali Steggall should be ashamed of her involvement in this election campaign. I’ve never seen the likes of it before. It’s juvenile, embarrassing and spiteful.
Disrespectful to the lifesaving community and disrespectful to the community service that Abbot has been involved with (lifesaving and CFA). Whether you like or dislike the person, he has committed himself to community service. GetUp! and Paul Oosting – weak character assassination.
Activist group – note that… not marketers….
Pretty pathetic as a ‘big idea’ – warped use of attempted ‘humour’
We know you support GetUp and Steggall and want Tony gone. GetUp was a joke, now they’re hysterical, and dangerous. Their moral superiority emboldens them to cross red lines of taste and decency whenever they feel like it.
At this rate they’re behaviour will hand Tony the seat, and Mumbrella is helping.
The left is screeching outrage, lashing out, insulting, demeaning, and thrashing about, skewered on its own conflicted identity.
Hi Mike,
Struggling to see how you know my personal politics, or how you got to your wild conclusion from this article. It is indeed one of the longer bows that has been drawn this week.
If anything, this article draws attention to GetUp’s gigantic mis-step, which has upset various people in the community, particularly around the tragic (and non-political) drownings over the Easter long weekend. It is hardly a glowing endorsement of GetUp. It’s just a report of what happened. They made an ad. People hated it. They withdrew the ad. They apologised.
I also contest the idea that I’m helping Tony on his path to victory. He has far more powerful forces than me behind him.
Vivienne – Mumbrella
Given this is an activist group, is it any different from News spewing juvenile, embarrassing and spiteful articles and thought pieces towards Zali/Labor/Greens on a daily basis?
While this ad was clearly in bad taste and is right to be pulled, like it or not, Abbott is despised by a large portion of the country for his backwards politics and views.
Steggall has no involvement in Get Up’s campaign.
She only happens to agree with the point they tried to over-emphasise in very poor taste.
As the replacement ad shows, there was no emphasis necessary.
The Murdoch newsletters are doing everything they can to promote Tony. The Libs are up to their old tricks in Warringah smearing Zali, sniping and being awful. All facts and the reason why Tony has an uphill struggle in this election. He went against his electorate. He sniped when he said he wouldn’t. Not good enough for Warringah.
Well said.