MEDIA RELEASE
18 JULY 2007

Hell’s Pizza Continues to Offend Families – Call for Boycott

Hell’s Pizza continues to offend customers and families with an offensive promotional magazine being included with takeaway pizzas being delivered to homes.

The publication shows the company’s continued fascination with condoms, soft porn, and offensive material. This follows on from their condom letterbox campaign last year which fell foul of the Advertising Standards Authority, and received the most complaints ever made against an advertisement.

“But they don’t seem to have learned their lesson,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“Hell’s Pizza needs to understand that families order pizzas to eat, not to be confronted with objectionable material from the company which is offensive to most people. Hell’s Pizza seems to have forgotten the key ingredients of a good pizza.”

The glossy 20-page magazine includes provocative pictures of Nicky Watson in underwear, offensive comments relating to the use of condoms, an insensitive article regarding the death of Steve Irwin, objectionable language, and a tongue-in-cheek article on bestiality.

“While a targeted older audience may not find the material offensive, many families will. Parents will be horrified if their children start reading the material which is so easily accessible.”

“We have advertising standards and censorship laws for a good reason – they are there to protect children and families,”says Mr McCoskrie. “Hell’s Pizza is deliberately flouting these guidelines.”

Family First NZ is calling on families to boycott Hell’s Pizza until they show some social responsibility and cause less offence in their advertising.

“After our last boycott affected their sales, they showed some restraint. However, old habits die hard,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“Our advice to Hell’s Pizza is to get out of the bedroom and back into the kitchen where a pizza delivery company belongs.”

For more details on content - http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/index.cfm/action_alert_/hell_s_pizza.html

ENDS

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