Ad campaign criticised

A new ad released by Auckland Savings Bank
(ASB) offering loans to parents to pay for fertility treatment sparked
complaints to New Zealand’s advertising watchdog. The ad, launched last week,
portrays a couple bending over backwards to pay for unsuccessful IVF
treatment, and then taking out a loan at ASB and having triplets. Several
people complained that this was socially irresponsible, encouraged an
unrealistic expectation of a successful outcome to fertility treatment, or
exploited a vulnerable audience.

The ASA is expected to rule on the
complaints within the next few weeks. One father of twins born six years ago
following a successful cycle of IVF treatment told the
Sunday Star Times he considered the advertisement “disgusting” and
“exploitative of people in a desperate situation”. An ASB spokesperson said the
bank had been lending money for fertility treatment for years but the ad was an
attempt to “normalise” the concept of taking out a loan for IVF. She said, “we
want to give people permission to come and talk to us about these things if
they’re not already”. ~ Sunday Star
Times, Nov 28

Jared Yee
commercialization
IVF
New Zealand
YouTube

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Michael Cook

Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.

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