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Marketer Whose Super Bowl Ads Came Under Fire Will Sit Out the Big Game

Jan 23, 2013  •  Post A Comment

An advertiser whose Super Bowl commercials have gained a lot of attention — not all of it positive — since it first ran spots in the big game said it will sit out this year’s game. Advertising Age reports that CareerBuilder, which has been advertising in the Super Bowl since 2005, will remain on the sidelines this time around.

"The Super Bowl has been a good investment for us over the years," said CareerBuilder spokeswoman Jennifer Grasz. "We decided to pursue other marketing opportunities this year, not only promoting the CareerBuilder brand, but also specific products and differentiators."

CareerBuilder aired some fan favorites during its Super Bowl years, and sparked some controversies with its ads that tended to feature monkeys, the piece notes. The ads drew criticism from activist groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Center for Great Apes.

"While eighteen large ad agencies said they would no longer produce ads with live chimps, who critics suggested were harmed by their participation in the production of the commercials, the company soldiered on with advertising created in-house," the story notes.

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