More bad press for Dr Martens relating to that previously reported ad campaign featuring images of dead rockers sitting in heaven wearing the shoe brand's boots. As previously reported, the ads were created by London ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi, who claim they were given clearance to place them in London mag Fact. But a Saatchi employee also uploaded them to a US ad industry website and it's from there that the backlash against the campaign has come. The shoe brand have since dumped the ad campaign and the agency, claiming they never approved the ads and apologising to anyone who took offence at the artwork.
The first person to take offence was Courtney Love who last week hit out at the use of Kurt Cobain's image in one of the ads. Now the estate of Joey Ramone, one of the other dead rock icons used, have criticised the campaign. His brother Mikey Leigh says he was never approached by Dr Martens or Saatchi regarding the advert, and that he would never have approved the use of his brother in the ads if he had been. He also disputed claims by Saatchi that all the rockers featured were known to wear Dr Marten boots, saying that Joey never wore them.
Leigh told reporters: "Obviously, we are in the same position as Courtney Love, as well as the estates of the others depicted. We were never consulted about this ad. We were never asked for permission to use Joey's image, or paid for the use of it. As executor of my brother's estate I never would have approved this ad as Joey never wore these shoes. And, not that my brother was terribly religious, but the fact that he was Jewish, and this ad is not exactly Kosher, makes it that much more inappropriate, inconsiderate and contemptible".
The use of celebrities' images in ads like this is something of a grey area legally, of course, but technically speaking Saatchi did not need permission from the estates of the rockers featured to run the ads providing they properly licenced the use of the face shots from whichever picture agency owned them (which they did). However, the PR risks of such a move are clear for all to see. Of course if you buy the 'no publicity is bad publicity' ethos, the news coverage of this controversial ad campaign might actually benefit Dr Marten. Though if the collective fan bases of Cobain, Ramone and the other two artists featured, Joe Strummer and Sid Vicious, were to all start boycotting the shoe company then Saatchi's recklessness could cost them dearly.
Dr Martens have, of course, already issued an apology regarding the ads, telling reporters last week: "Dr Martens is very sorry for any offence that has been caused by the publication of images showing dead rock icons wearing Dr Martens boots".