HomeAway, the online vacation home rental corporation, is looking for a new agency after their controversial Super Bowl ad landed them in hot water.
During the 30-second 2011 Super Bowl, HomeAway's ad depicted a "test family" arguing in a small hotel room, showing that it would be better to rent a home than a hotel room. For comedic effect, a baby doll representing a "test baby" was thrown against a wall and its face was smushed as it hit the wall facing the audience. The ad was promptly taken down after customers complained that child abuse was depicted in a joking manner through the commercial itself and in the online portion of the campaign in which users could insert their own faces in place of the "test baby's."
HomeAway decided to step away from the agency responsible and search for a new one for the coming year. Not only that, but HomeAway CEO Brian Sharples said that he doesn't "have the stomach" for another Super Bowl ad, either.
The Austin-based vacation home rental corporation has been in talks with a number of agencies, including McGarrah Jessee and GSD&M.
Sometimes an attempt at shocking comedy can backfire, as HomeAway and their previous agency found out with their risky "Test Baby" commercial.
SOURCE: Ad Age
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