Walmart Commercial: ‘I Can’t Breathe’ Ad Sparks Outrage Following Controversial Death Of Eric Garner
Walmart is currently in hot water following the release a controversial ad that has garnered thousands of complaints. On the morning of Thursday, December 4, the massive retailer pulled the commercial after receiving an overwhelming number of complaints from protestors about the offensive nature of the mobile phone advertisement.
According to NBC News, the 29-second clip features an African-American man who has purchased a cell phone for his teenaged daughter for Christmas. However, the seemingly innocent commercial takes a slight turn toward the end with a subliminally offensive gesture. The man can be seen mouthing the words, “I can’t breathe,” as his daughter hugs and thanks him profusely for the new gift.
The iconic phrase has also garnered lots of attention from another clip — the footage of the chokehold death of Eric Garner, who was killed by New York Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo. The controversial commercial has sparked quite a debate. Although many viewers found the advertisement offensive in wake of Garner’s death and the non-indictment of Officer Pantaleo, there were also viewers who feel the outrage is a bit over-exaggerated. Many viewers and protestors responded to the advertisement via social media.
Here are some of the comments.
“Very offensive and a total lack of empathy to the death of an innocent man,” one viewer said via YouTube.
I believe that #Walmart commercial was released around the same time as the video showing the murder of #EricGarner's death. Not intentional
— ? (@ElleChanel) December 6, 2014
#Walmart should scrap that "I Can't Breathe" phone commercial with the black father being choked saying "I can't breathe" #EricGarner #NYPD
— ? (@Jamaica658) December 4, 2014
Although the retailer may not have meant to offend anyone, the controversial phrase caused quite a stir, prompting the retailer took to Twitter to address the situation. The tweet, which was posted to Walmart’s official Newsroom account, stated that the commercial would be pulled and re-edited due to backlash. The company also agreed that it is understandable why viewers now find the commercial offense as opposed to when it was initially released.
@DarrellLondon @bpopken We can see how the ad could be viewed differently today than when it first aired. We’re recutting based on feedback.
— Walmart Inc. (@WalmartInc) December 4, 2014
According to the Huffington Post, a Walmart spokeswoman, Deisha Barnett, stated that the commercial initially aired sometime this summer. However, she could not determine whether or not it aired before or after Garner’s death.
Do you find the commercial offensive? Share your thoughts.
