LONDON (Reuters) – A Christmas "immaculate contraception" campaign for a morning-after pill has been pulled by a drug company after causing religious offence.
The poster, which appeared on London Underground trains, asked: "Immaculate contraception? If only."
"It might be Christmas time," it continued, "but condoms still split and pills still get forgotten. So if your contraception lets you down, ask your pharmacist for Levonelle One Step."
Schering Health Care, a subsidiary of Schering of Germany, said in a statement it had decided to withdraw the "inappropriate" advert after receiving several letters.
"We take this step as a responsible manufacturer in recognition of the religious concerns expressed to us," it said.
"This advertisement was intended as a play on words to indicate that there is no such thing as immaculate contraception," it added.
The poster also prompted 109 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which has launched a formal investigation into the advert. [Source]
3 comments
I hate to say it, but this is London (and Europe). This is the same town that now has a Nativity Scene with the Beckhams as Joseph and the Virgin Mary. Of course this all to be in fun, and if we are offended, well it just shows how “little” we really are!
Paz
I don’t care if it was ‘meant to offend’ or not. Nothing is sacred with these people and that’s the problem.
I live in America. It might seem like it is only done in fun, but believe me, the secularizing of Christmas is no laughing matter. Children in most schools here now are not even allowed to sing Christmas Carols. They can sing about Santa Claus but not about Jesus. The silent majority has got to stop being silent before all of our Christian rights are taken away. On the major television networks it is only appropriate this year to say “Happy Holidays” not “Merry Christmas” Dan Rather did say Happy Hanukah the other night, I wonder if he will wish us a Merry Christmas this year. I am waiting to see.