Reacting to public outcry, Chrysler Group has nixed an "edgy" ad that had aired in the Netherlands, showing a dog electrocuted when it urinated on a Dodge Nitro. Chrysler said the ad was also removed from YouTube, but we found at least one posting still available on Friday. At headquarters in Detroit, the company was in damage control mode.
"Chrysler Group was dismayed to discover today that an advertisement created by an ad agency supporting our Netherlands Market Performance Center goes far beyond the bounds of what the company considers appropriate. The advertisement for the new Dodge Nitro, recently introduced into the market, which includes fictional yet inappropriate treatment of an animal, is in extremely bad taste," said a statement from Jason Vines, Vice President Communications, for the Chrysler Group. "Although European commercials – especially 'viral' ads like this one – are often edgier, this one went over the edge. Chrysler Group is investigating the origins of this commercial," he added.
