UK Bans Iceland’s New Christmas Ad For Being “Too Political”

Published 5 years ago

Iceland (a store chain in the UK, not to be mixed with the country of the same name) has recently created a TV advertisement, focusing on how the wide use of palm oil impacts the environment. It mostly focused on the deforestation that the industry causes in Malaysia and Indonesia but the ad was banned from the air for being “too political”.

The massive deforestation leads to the destruction of orangutans’ natural habitats and the Orangutan Foundation International say that the palm oil industry causes up to 5,000 orangutan deaths each year. Iceland’s ad focused on this issue – it featured an orangutan named Rang-Tan who feared the loss of his home but despite the good intentions it still got banned. “[We wanted] to raise awareness of rainforest destruction caused by palm oil production, and its devastating impact on the critically endangered orangutan. […] However, it has been ruled our advert will not appear on TV alongside other supermarkets,” said a representative of Iceland.

Clearcast, the company that vets the ads before being aired said it does not comply with the Communications Act 2003. Whether or not you agree with the company’s decision, the advert is still shocking and relevant – check it out in the gallery below.

More info: Iceland | Orangutan Foundation International | h/t

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Iceland has recently created a new Christmas advertisement but it was banned from the air for being “too political”

The UK retailer has been focusing on many environmentally friendly initiatives, including removing palm oil from their products

Image credits: Danrok

The ad was voiced by Emma Thompson, a British actress, author, and activist

Image credits: Garry Knight

It featured an orangutan named Rang-Tan

The ad was originally a short movie by Greenpeace and focused on palm oil and the damage it causes

Palm oil is a type of vegetable oil that’s used in many household items and food products

Image credits: 3dman_eu

The palm oil industry causes massive deforestation in regions like Malaysia and Indonesia

It is estimated that around 2,5 million acres of rainforest are lost every year

Image credits: Hayden

The Orangutan Foundation International say that the palm oil industry causes up to 5,000 orangutan deaths each year

The destruction of orangutans’ natural habitats caused all three remaining species to be classified as critically endangered

Image credits: Brett Jordan

“[We wanted] to raise awareness of rainforest destruction caused by palm oil production, and its devastating impact on the critically endangered orangutan”

“However, it has been ruled our advert will not appear on TV alongside other supermarkets,” said a representative of Iceland

Clearcast, the company that vets the ads before being aired said it does not comply with the Communications Act 2003

Whether or not you agree with the company’s decision, the advert is still shocking and relevant

See the full advertisement and decide for yourself

Many people were surprised by the ban





Aušrys Uptas

One day, this guy just kind of figured - "I spend most of my time on the internet anyway, why not turn it into a profession?" - and he did! Now he not only gets to browse the latest cat videos and fresh memes every day but also shares them with people all over the world, making sure they stay up to date with everything that's trending on the web. Some things that always pique his interest are old technologies, literature and all sorts of odd vintage goodness. So if you find something that's too bizarre not to share, make sure to hit him up!

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ad, advert, advertising, deforestation, Greenpeace, Iceland, Indonesia, Malaysia, oil palms, orangutan, palm oil, rainforests, uk, wildlife
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