Dr Martens' CEO apologises for Saatchi & Saatchi's "dead rockstar" print campaign, and sacks the agency .
The ad campaign, created by industry giants Saatchi & Saatchi, featured retouched photos of Kurt Cobain, Joey Ramone, Sid Vicious and Clash frontman Joe Strummer wearing Doc Marten boots in heaven.Joey Ramone's brother Mickey Leigh said he would have never approved the use of Joey's image, calling the campaign "contemptible". A representative for Cobain's widow Courtney Love called the unauthorised use "outrageous" and "despicable".
Dr. Marten's CEO David Suddens apologised via US People Magazine, claiming he was not aware of the campaign, saying "We do think that it is offensive. We made a mistake. My message to Courtney Love is: This is something we shouldn't have been doing." He claimed to have terminated their business with Saatchi & Saatchi London as soon as he found out about the campaign.
With typical advertising industry hubris, Saatchi & Saatchi released a statement standing by its work. Executive Creative Director Kate Stanners saying, "We believe the ads are edgy but not offensive."
Saatchi & Saatchi were more concerned that the images were leaked, as they were only approved to run in UK's Fact magazine. "While we believe the creative is a beautiful tribute to four legendary musicians, the individual broke both agency and client protocol in this situation by placing the ads on a US advertising website and acting as an unauthorised spokesperson for the company."
