FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
August 6, 2004
Contact: Jeffrey
Mazzella
703.535.5836
Subway
Halts Super Size Me Promotional Campaign in Germany
CFIF
commends Subways responsiveness
ALEXANDRIA,
Va. The Center for Individual Freedom today recognized
Subways responsiveness in halting the promotional campaign
of Morgan Spurlocks controversial film "Super Size Me"
at the companys restaurants in Germany. A spokesman at Subways
corporate headquarters publicly stated earlier this week that the
company was pulling the campaign and apologized on behalf of Subways
German franchisees.
Last
week, the Center sent an "Action Alert" to concerned Americans
across the country informing them that anti-American marketing materials
were being used to promote "Super Size Me" in German Subway
franchises, including a tray liner that featured a caricature of
an obese Statue of Liberty holding a container of french fries and
a cheeseburger. The headline on the tray liner asked, "Why
are Americans [Amis, in German] so fat?" The German word "Amis"
is considered by many to be derogatory.
"Following
public outcry, Subway quickly ended the promotional campaign,"
said Jeffrey Mazzella, the Centers Executive Director. "We
are pleased with the companys responsiveness and its public
apology on behalf of the German franchisees to the American people.
Furthermore, we believe the American people should accept Subways
good faith in responding to their concerns."
Earlier
this week, the Center received indication that a 30-page "Super
Size Me" promotional booklet was also part of the German cross-marketing
campaign. The booklet contains numerous images insensitive to Americans,
including a cartoon depiction of a giant cheeseburger crashing into
a cluster of skyscrapers eerily reminiscent of the 9-11 attacks
on the World Trade Center. Company officials assured the Center
that those materials were not part of Subways overseas activities.
"Subway
executives in the U.S. were as horrified by those images as we were,"
said Mazzella. "The German company that created the images
thinks they are appropriate. They want them to be viewed in context.
Weve done that and the inescapable context is inappropriately
anti-American,"
Mazzella concluded.
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