General Motors Receiving Heat Over Super Bowl Ad
The American Foundation for Suicide, has cried "foul ball" to the real "dummies" at General Motors who conceived the Super Bowl commercial. In response to the commercial for General Motors Corp., in which a GM factory robot "obsessed about quality" imagines itself jumping off a bridge after being fired for making a mistake, has contacted the automaker, CBS and the NFL regarding the insensitive nature of this ad.
The ad, prominently displayed on the GM website, is offensive to the tens of millions of survivors of suicide loss nationwide. In its carelessness, it portrays suicide as a viable option when someone fails or loses their job. This is the wrong message to send to adolescents in general, or to young people and adults alike who may be depressed and thinking that suicide is their only option, rather than seeking help.
AFSP has requested that GM pull this ad and cease any further promotion and marketing of it, including taking it off the company's website. The Foundation has also encouraged GM to issue a statement of apology to those offended by the ad.
Suicide is a major public health problem that has claimed the lives of over 300,000 people in the United States over the past 10 years -- with approximately one million suicide attempts each year -- taking an enormous toll on families, friends, classmates, co-workers and communities. More than 90 percent of people who die by suicide have a diagnosable, treatable mental disorder and are suffering. Suicide is currently the fourth leading cause of death among adults aged 18-65 and the third leading cause of death among youth aged 15-24.
Research has also shown that graphic, sensationalized or romanticized descriptions of suicide deaths in any medium can contribute to suicide contagion, popularly referred to as "copycat" suicides.
AFSP urges those offended by this ad to contact GM to express their concern. You can do so by going to the Contact Us page on the GM website. In the "Contact GM Corporation" section, choose "GM Advertisements" as a topic from the drop-down menu and click "Go," which will take you to a form where you can add your comments.
Click Here to Read the Full AFSP Press Release
The American Foundation For Suicide Prevention is a wonderful Organization. If you find yourself needing to speak with someone after a loved one has died, they are there for you. 
