Sir Ed pizza ad 'bad taste'

POOR TASTE: An animated Hell Pizza internet Halloween advertisement has upset family and friends of Sir Ed Hillary, who say it's depiction of Sir Ed dancing in a graveyard just 10 months from his death is in poor taste.

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A halloween pizza promotion depicting Sir Edmund Hillary dancing in a graveyard has upset those closest to him just 10 months after his death and has this morning been removed from the fast food chain's website.

The animation, by Hell Pizza, shows a mostly skeletal Sir Ed, flanked by Heath Ledger and the Queen Mother, emerging from graves to dance to Michael Jackson's song Thriller.

It was posted on the Internet two days before Halloween and has been called grotesque by Sir Ed's son, Peter Hillary.

"I think it's a bit disturbing ... a little grotesque. I don't think it's funny and I'm not very impressed," Mr Hillary said yesterday.

"It is early days and it's still pretty raw. It's extremely poor taste really."

The video clip, which was on the company's website this morning, was removed shortly before midday.

Hell promotions have attracted complaints in recent years about campaigns featuring Adolf Hitler, a mail drop that included condoms, and a spoof of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin's death.

Sir Ed died in January, aged 88. Heath Ledger died this year and the Queen Mother in 2002.

Glenn Corbett, retail operations manager for TPF Group, which acquired the Hell chain in 2006, said the company had no intention of offending anyone, especially the Hillary family.

"Clearly he's revered in New Zealand and we all love him. It's the sort of thing that Hell does to create a little bit of fun and a little bit of humour.

"The idea of Sir Ed being there was intended to be a light-hearted remembrance of Sir Ed that was a bit hellish."

Mr Hillary said the executors of his father's will and the family should have been consulted.

"The reality is they've put it on the Internet. It is now uncontrollable. The damage is done. ... I think [if I had been asked] I would have said it was inappropriate."

A close friend of Sir Ed, cartoonist Tom Scott, said Sir Ed had a good sense of humour, but he was appalled when the animation was described to him.

"It strikes me as tasteless.

"It's way too soon to make fun of a great New Zealander. They wouldn't dare do it while he was alive and they should be doubly cautious when he's dead."

The owner of Wellington's Webb St Hell Pizza franchise, Jason Buckley, said he did not like the promotion but franchisees had no say. "They do it without talking to us."

- © Fairfax NZ News

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Peter Warner   #148   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

The owner of Hell Pizza is obviously a Godless person to flaunt his ignorance of the knowledge of God. This is expressed in the name of his business and his lack of sensitivity and human dignity towards other people who are well respected in society.

Rainbow   #147   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Their pizza is still great.

maldwyn   #146   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

What do you expect after Ross & Brand? Thay'll be telling us next to get real, as it's only a joke.

ROBBY   #145   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

IT WAS JUST IN FUN. IT IS FUNNY

John   #144   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

The Hell pizza brand is "diabolical", and its advertising strategy should be based on that theme. So dancing skeletons are good - in theory. Where they have gone wrong is in using the likenesses of well-known and well-liked people. Whether they are recently deceased or not is beside the point.

Yeah Right   #143   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Difference between this upset and the Danish cartoonists is that the people who object to the ad aren't threatening to kill the advertisers and their families. Nor are they burning effigies of the Hells Pizza management team or threatening to bomb the stores.

Ollie   #142   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

I personally find this sort of humour very funny and you people just cant take a joke!

Mike   #141   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Lol its an ad. Who cares? Its doing what its supposed to do and getting people to talk about Hell Pizza isnt it? I dont get offended easily especially over such a small thing as ads. I for one wont stop buying Hell Pizza because of advertising. Go Hell Pizza!

Mike   #140   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Man oh man. For Gods sake they are ads! Get over it! So what if its bad taste its doing what its supposed to do isnt it? Getting people to talk about Hell Pizza! I for one dont get offended over small things like ads. But hey might be bad taste but I dont care. Go Hell Pizza!

Darnica   #139   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Agreed it is bad taste, but i personally dont think the branches for suffer. The branches are owned seperatly, they have NOTHING to do with the decsions HEAD OFFICE MARKETING make, so i do not think they should suffer for something that is not there fault.

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