K-Mart and Benckiser have just announced that they will no longer allow ABC to advertise their store and products on “Nothing Sacred.”
A spokeswoman for K-Mart said that when the nationwide discount store initially bought ad space for September 18, it had no way of knowing that the debut of “Nothing Sacred” would be moved from September 25 to September 18. But now, knowing that its ads did run on “Nothing Sacred,” K-Mart has officially stated that it will no longer allow ABC to use its ad spots on the show again.
A spokesman for Benckiser, the maker of Electrosol Tabs, admitted that the company’s first reservations about advertising on the show occurred when they spotted the Catholic League’s ad in Advertising Age (September 8); the ad warned prospective sponsors of the show of a boycott. The final straw came when public protest against the sponsors grew to significant proportions.
William Donohue had this to say about the latest news:
“Congratulations to K-Mart and Benckiser. Both companies are a model of corporate and social responsibility.
“The Catholic League is proud of its members and the millions of Americans who are supporting us in this effort. Having lost K-Mart and Benckiser, as well as American Isuzu Motors, Inc. And Weight Watchers, the producers of ‘Nothing Sacred’ are obviously worried. They should be: our adrenaline is pumping overtime and this means that we will work harder than ever to kill the show by boycotting those sponsors who are defiant enough to persist in advertising on “Nothing Sacred.”
