UK Group Urges Reebok Boycott Over 50 Cent Ad
April 14, 2005
Rapper 50 Cent is the current king of the music charts, with three hits in the top ten and the acclaim of pop fans. But his recent endorsement deal with Reebok and the resulting "I Am What I Am Campaign" is drawing fire in the UK.
The British government's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is investigating a growing number of complaints over the campaign's reference to the infamous incident in which 50 was shot nine times in Jamaica, Queens. In the ad, 50 conspicuously counts to nine.
The complaining viewers, led by Lucy Cope, founder of a group called "Mothers Against Guns," want the ad pulled. They argue it promotes gun violence. Cope has been quoted as saying: "I say all parents should boycott Reebok until such time as they pull the ad and apologize."
Reebok reportedly feels Cope and Mothers Against Guns have missed the point of their campaign. Reebok maintains the ad shows just how much 50 has overcome to get to where he is today, saying, "This is a positive call to our audience: whoever or wherever you are, you can achieve."
The ASA says the Reebok ad will be pulled from UK airwaves if their investigation determines it is in breach of the government's advertising codes.
50 Cent recently raised eyebrows recently with a violent trailer for his upcoming videogame "Bulletproof." For now though, the rapper is laying low on the Reebok controversy