[Mrluvaluva]

Car maker Hyundai has pulled an advertisement featuring a realistic depiction of a man attempting suicide, after strong complaints.

The video was posted online last week and features a middle-aged man using his Hyundai car in a failed effort to kill himself.

But an advertising creative from London, whose father committed suicide using the method depicted in the ad, posted an emotional open letter to Hyundai on her blog complaining it made her feel sick.

Youtube video

Holly Brockwell wrote: "As an advertising creative, I would like to congratulate you on achieving the visceral reaction we all hope for.

"I would not like to congratulate you on making me cry for my dad.

"When your ad started to play... I began to shake. I shook so hard that I had to put down my drink before I spilt it. And then I started to cry.

"I understand better than most people the need to do something newsworthy, something talkable, even something outrageous to get those all-important viewing figures.

"What I don’t understand is why a group of strangers have just brought me to tears in order to sell me a car.

"Why I had to be reminded of the awful moment I knew I'd never see my dad again, and the moments since that he hasn't been there. That birthday party. Results day. Graduation.”

The campaign was created by marketing agency Innocean who are based in South Korea, but their European office made the ad. In a statement, a spokesperson said: "Hyundai understands that the video has caused offence.

"We apologise unreservedly. The video has been taken down and will not be used in any of our advertising or marketing."

Hyundai said in a statement: "We at Hyundai Motor America are shocked and saddened by the depiction of a suicide attempt in an inappropriate European video featuring a Hyundai.

"Suicide merits thoughtful discussion, not this type of treatment."

Ms Brockwell told Sky News: "Hundreds of people have managed to contact me today, both for praise and abuse - they could easily have done the same.

"I'd also have liked to see some explanation of how exactly this happened, but I suppose that was always unlikely."

There has been a significant increase in the number of people in the UK committing suicide, official figures released this year show, with the male suicide rate reaching its highest level for nearly a decade.

The total number of people over 15 taking their own lives in 2011 - the last year for which figures are available - rose by 8% to 6,045, up from 5,608 in 2010.

The Samaritans have published guidelines for media organisations for use when portraying suicide.


Sky

In quite poor taste really. They must be very naive if they thought they weren't going to upset anybody.