Partners pulls ads after mosque tragedy
Partners Life has pulled an advertising campaign that was intended to get New Zealanders thinking about death.
Tuesday, March 19th 2019, 12:26PM 
3 Comments
Naomi Ballantyne
The ads, set in the afterlife, were designed to “spark a conversation with New Zealanders about the importance of risk and taking responsibility for themselves and their families”.
Managing director Naomi Ballantyne said all the ads had been stopped after the Christchurch mosque attacks on Friday.
She said while it took “a bit of work and a fair bit of money” it was inappropriate for them to continue to run at present.
Ballantyne said the campaign would resume at some point.
“In light of what happened on Friday no one needs this message right now, the fact that things happen can’t be more starkly real.”
Although there had been about 20 complaints about the advertisements, she said the response had been overwhelmingly positive.
They had even generated new business opportunities for advisers, she said, which the insurer was not expecting because there was no direct call to action.
A decision had not been made yet on when the ads would return but she said they delivered an important message that New Zealanders had not traditionally been good at hearing.
“We are happy with the campaign. There are always people who just want to complain but it was a really small number given how confronting some of these ads could be.”
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Hope they aren't off air for long.
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Moreover as the ads allude to the idea of an afterlife, their continued airing could have an even more beneficial effect, because with the massacre, it may be just the timely and crucial catalyst/reminder that a lost soul needs (to give their life its full and eternal meaning).
May those who were slain find eternal peace and joy (and see true justice).