Google’s Ad Ban Turns From Trickle To Flood As Aussie Firms Run For The Exits

Google’s Ad Ban Turns From Trickle To Flood As Aussie Firms Run For The Exits

A flotilla of some of Australia’s biggest advertisers have joined the boycott of the Google-owned YouTube.

Following yesterday’s news that Holden and Kia had both suspended their ads for fear they were being shown around extremist or hate content, comes news of a number of Australia’s biggest brands following suit.

The furore appears to have particularly rattled the car companies, with Toyota, Ford, Hyundai and Subaru all announcing over the past 24 hours that the too would suspend all of their YouTube advertising.

Other Aussie brands to follow the car markers reportedly include Caltex, Foxtel, Vodafone, Nestle, Xero and Bunnings.

Other motoring marques in Australia, including Audi, BMW, Volkswagen, Nissan and Mercedes, are said to be “reviewing” their advertising arrangements.

Foxtel pulled its adds after they appeared next to anti-semitic content and a man convicted of race hate crimes, West Australian Brendon O’Connell. In a statement, the company said: “Therefore, we have made the decision to suspend our advertising on YouTube until we are assured that the situation is resolved.”

Toyota – the biggest car brand in Australia and one of the biggest ad spenders – said in statement to media: “We have currently paused our video and display advertising across the Google network. We are now working with Google to ensure there is adequate protection for our brand before we continue any further advertising”.

A statement from Ford Australia read: “We have paused Ford advertising on YouTube, as we work closely with Google on improvements to ensure our ads show up in environments appropriate for our brand”.

Caltex pulled all its ads after they appeared next to a video of the right-wing extremist group Australian Nationalist United Patriots Front.

Xero pulled its ads after they appeared next to American extremist and anti-semite, David Icke.

The problem’s not just a brand appearing as a pre-roll ad before extremist material, it’s also that the ad funds the creator’s content.

 




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