Date: Fri 31-Jul-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Wiston-kiss-butt-Murphy

Full Text:

Complaints Snuff Out Winston Ad Campaign

(with cut)

BY STEVE BIGHAM

Mary Clark Stambaugh hates smoking and everything associated with it.

So she was annoyed this past spring when she saw a "bathroom humor" billboard

advertisement for Winston cigarettes. She spotted the ad along Mount Pleasant

Road (Route 25), just north of Taunton Lake Road. Besides shaking her head in

disapproval, the Newtown resident opted to just leave it alone.

But when Mrs Stambaugh caught a glimpse of Winston's newest ad last week, she

could no longer sit back.

"I took offense to the first one, but then I saw this one about `kiss your

butt' and I just exploded," the Sturges Road resident said.

Actually, the ad, which could also be seen on South Main Street, reads,

~"finally, a butt worth kissing," a play on words that caught the ire of more

than just one person. One New Jersey mayor even had the billboard covered with

a drop cloth until the advertisement was removed.

Bob Murphy of Murphy Signs in Bridgeport agreed with the complainants and

quickly had the ad removed early last Friday morning. Mr Murphy said his

company makes an effort to be sensitive to the local residents and, since this

was a nationwide issue, was quick to bring the ad down off the billboard.

However, to Mrs Stambaugh's disappointment, it was replaced by another

cigarette ad -- something about "no bull."

"The copy that goes with an ad is out of our control," Mr Murphy explained.

"As long as it is not something illegal or visually offensive."

The "butt" ad was perfectly legal and, like anything, beauty is in the eye of

the beholder. However, in this case, Mr Murphy said it was important to

respond to callers.

The billboard company head said this was the first time he has ever had to

order that an ad be removed, although a Coors ad with a bikini-clad woman had

caused a bit of an uproar.

Surprisingly, the Winston tobacco company also took offense to the "butt" ad,

reportedly blaming its advertising agency for tasteless ad copy.