Are the Kurt Cobain/Doc Martens Ads Offensive?

May 25, 2007

By now you have probably either seen or heard about these Dr Martens advertisements featuring Kurt Cobain and other deceased musicians sporting some Doc Martens boots while floating in heaven. The campaign apparently has something to do with the boots being "made to last," and the ad agency that made them (Saatchi & Saatchi) stood by the images, calling them "edgy." Meanwhile, the Dr Martens company is denying they had anything to do with the ads being run and has actually fired Saatchi as a result of their poor judgment. It's pretty obvious Cobain would have never agreed to this so what do you think? Are these ads offensive?

56 Comments

Megamega2k 5 years 49 weeks

I'd say not very tasteful.

sugarmama07 5 years 49 weeks

Oh stop whining!!!! There is nothing wrong with the ad and I think that the biggest issue is that those who think they should have been paid for the photo/endoresement weren't. Get over it. Kurt would like his memory to live on I'm sure. It's kind of like an ode to Kurt and Doc Martens. Nothing wrong with it!!! I like it. R.I.P Kurt Cobain. Still a legendary artist to me.

Kjell 5 years 49 weeks

absolutely ridiculously offensive and absurd.

chancleta 5 years 49 weeks

Cute idea that understandbly can upset the families of the deceased. Overall insensitive.

leeluvfashion 5 years 50 weeks

It was a very tacky and tasteless move. The Doc Martens company had to have something to do w/ it since it was though their advertisement agency; someone gave the okay. Doc Martens should give a apology, not to us but to Courtney and Francis.

Daisy6264 5 years 51 weeks

Awful.

demeter 5 years 51 weeks

Not at all.

Kelly O 5 years 51 weeks

Tasteless to me too. Not necessarily "offensive". I'm not buying that no one at Doc Martens knew about this. What's the saying "Any publicity is good publicity?"

clepiau 5 years 51 weeks

What they should do is make new Maytag ads with the dead repairman 'cause the new guy just isn't doing it for me.

nikkih 5 years 51 weeks

I agree with calibabi, it's not really offensive...but it is a little tacky. Although, dead spokespeople are all over ads today--anyone seen the Orville Redenbacher t.v. spots? The poor man's been dead for years and they're making him out to be an idiot!!

aras8218 5 years 51 weeks

Their's a crazy feel to it.

Huckleberry 5 years 51 weeks

they should have at least asked permission from the families

clepiau 5 years 51 weeks

I don't find it offensive, exactly, but fairly tactless. I can understand why families might be upset, but if no copyright laws were broken, what're you gonna do? And we don't know that he wouldn't have done it any more than we know that Audrey Hepburn would have done the GAP ads. I've certainly been way more offended by ads, articles, TV specials, etc. that nobody else minded at all so I'm not exactly crying for anyone in this relatively mild (if tasteless) advertising snafu. And Dr Martens didn't know anything about it? Yeah, right. On the bright side, the image was like a walk down memory lane and suddenly I'm back at the eighth grade dance wearing my Docs and singing along to All Apologies. Those were the days.

Hope 5 years 51 weeks

It is tacky!

Princess101 5 years 51 weeks

i like it but i think its offensive.

LaLa0428 5 years 51 weeks

I agree with Calibabi, I just think its tacky.

WeirdTxchick 5 years 51 weeks

i feel it was nice to see cobains face come up again, it reminded me of the art 27 wich has all the actors and artist that died at 27 kurt,janis,ect. But I understand loves' veiw i cant imagine how heart wrenching it would be to have a portrait of my husband that pasted away show up on an ad, and i having no idea.

pinky8486 5 years 51 weeks

I think Doc Martin knew what they were doing and it would bring controversy. The ad has brought so much publicity to doc martin and I think they are willing to take the penalties.

pinksugarbaby 5 years 51 weeks

I dont know that offensive is the right word...i think they should have gotten permission yes but i dont really think it went that far...its not like they had them sitting in hell.

mouldy 5 years 51 weeks

i guess it was just in a little bad taste.

Candy_blonde 5 years 51 weeks

I wouldn't say "offensive" is a word I would use to describe it. More like wrong - simply due to the fact that you can't use a random person in your ad without permission...let alone a dead icon. Just an odd decision on someone's part.