Federal Express spent millions producing an ad featuring characters from the Wizard of Oz and airing it during the Super Bowl, but the spot has been zapped by criticism over its depiction of munchkins inhaling helium from a balloon.In the ad, the munchkins inhale the helium to regain their squeaky singing voices, but it was no laughing matter to advocates like Harvey Weiss, director of the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition (NIPC), who saw the spot when it aired during the football championship game on Jan. 30. In of itself, said Weiss, inhaling helium, an inert gas, does not cause the health problems that inhaling other substances can. But he and others concerned with inhalant abuse were afraid that the ad would provide children with a "how-to" lesson on inhalant abuse; kids who huff nitrous oxide frequently use a balloon to do so, Weiss noted.
NIPC also was concerned about the use of Wizard of Oz characters in the ad. "The message that was given to kids, in a medium that would appeal to them, was that putting gas into their body is fun and OK," said Weiss.
After fielding multiple phone calls on the ad -- many from parents who had never been in touch with NIPC before -- Weiss contacted Federal Express officials to explain his group's concerns. The issue also generated some local media coverage. Chris Neilsen, a D.A.R.E. officer from Baraboo, Wisc., issued a press release protesting the ad, saying, "The message our children saw was "it is okay to 'huff' helium." The message scared those in the drug prevention field. Years have been spent teaching children that drugs, anything that changes the way your mind or body works, are dangerous. Our children see this advertisement and get a mixed message."
Weiss said that FedEx officials were responsive to such inquiries, quickly returing phone calls, answering letters and taking the time to discuss the concerns of inhalant experts. In early February, Ad Age, an industry publication, reported that FedEx was taking the munchkin ad out of its scheduled advertising rotation, and was considering revising the ad "in order to be more sensitive to the concerns that have been expressed."
In a letter sent in response to inquiries about the ad, James R. Lyski, FedEx's vice-president for U.S. marketing, wrote, "We strive to portray our company in a responsible manner in all of our marketing initiatives. To that end, we conferred with national health and toxicology authorities about the content of "Oz" prior to the ad's production. They confirmed to us that there are no known health threats depicted in this ad." Steve Pacheco, advertising manager for FedEx, told Join Together that focus groups showed that less than 3 percent of those who viewed the ad made any connection to negative behavior.
Pacheco insisted that FedEx has voluntarily taken the ad out of the current rotation, described the move as part of normal advertising practice, and dismissed suggestions that it had anything to do with the concerns expressed by Weiss or others. "The ad is currently under review, and we hope to be back on the air with it very soon," perhaps within two weeks, he said. Pacheco also said he didn't know if the ad would be altered to remove the helium scene, which currently is a critical part of the narrative. "Anything is possible in this day and age of digital editing," he said.
Whatever FedEx's motivation, Weiss praised the company for pulling the ad, saying he was "kind of overwhelmed by their sense of corporate and social responsibility." He said the Oz ad had provided NIPC with an opportunity to raise awareness about the issue of inhalant abuse, and expressed hope that FedEx would join in that effort. On the other hand, NIPC will be watching to see if the munchkins return to the airwaves. "I would be disappointed if they did," said Weiss. "I think [FedEx is] doing the right thing, and I would be surprised to see it back on."
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