The controversial commercial of a life insurance company that angered everyone on the networks

The purpose of an advertisement is to attract attention. This is your goal. Whether it’s a product or a service. Your success or not depends on it.. But, then, is everything worth it to achieve that goal?

On social media these days you can find what the majority thinks, at least in that virtual world, on that point. With a very clear example that went viral that ignited the controversy and unleashed the fury.

It was a Facebook advertisement from a life insurance company starring the shadowy serial killer “Dr. Death”, who killed to nearly 300 people in the tumultuous 1990s.

The controversial advertisement shows an image of the sinister doctor Harold Shipman, “Doctor Death”, and next to it a written, at least not very cheerful, which reads: You never know who your doctor might be.”

In 1999 Shipman, then 52, was convicted of murdering 15 of his patients. But subsequent research has found evidence that he may have killed at least 297 people during his career80 percent of whom were older women.

The reaction was fierce. “Like someone whose relative was killed by Harold Shipman, using his latest ad his image is contemptible and unacceptable”, puts someone in a tweet that has received thousands of “likes”.

The repudiation messages have multiplied so much and so fast that the same insurance company, called DeadHappy, removed the ad and its founder, Andy Knott, had to apologise. He said that sometimes, as a brand, they can “cross the line.”

“Our intention is to make people stop and think. However, if you have been personally upset by this announcement, we sincerely apologize,” Knott told the Telegraph.

“We take risks with our brand and sometimes we can cross the linewhatever or wherever that line is, and whoever chooses to draw it,” he added.

However, it seems that an apology was not enough. Kathryn Knowles, creator of insurance brokerage Cura, told al Telegraph which would report the “absolutely disgusting” ad. to the Financial Conduct Authority, as well as to the advertising supervisory body.

Knowles added that people within the industry she was “absolutely horrified”. “I just don’t see how anyone in their right mind could have thought it was the right thing to do,” she said.

Repudiation messages

‘OH. DeadHappy way to get people talking about your product. Too bad it included a mass murderer‘ wrote a user on Facebook.

Another tweeted, “So @DeadHappy are you really going with this ad, with the tagline ‘life insurance to die for’?” you are way above it. And you know you did it.”

Another user posted: “@deadhappy what the heck was the marketing team thinking using this as their ad?!you should be ashamed of himself! Those poor families :(.”.