The Commonwealth Bank, an official Olympics sponsor, has "apologised after releasing a London Games terrorism-themed advert featuring a bomb hoax outside an Olympic venue," according to David Hills of the London GUARDIAN. The Australian bank Wednesday posted the advertisement on YouTube, "but removed it hours later after complaints." The film, part of their "can" campaign, features three men dressed as the letters C, A and N, and a fourth dressed as a T. In the sketch, the first three tip off a security guard that the fourth, who they want to keep away from the Games, has a "ticking" backpack and is acting suspiciously. The guard lets the three men in to watch a women's beach volleyball event, then wrestles the fourth to the ground (GUARDIAN, 8/2). A bank spokesperson made the following statement: "The Commonwealth Bank apologises for the online video released to its YouTube Channel. We acknowledge some concerns were raised, and the material was withdrawn this morning." Commonwealth Bank CMO Andy Lark "reportedly told another website, B&T," that the ad was unauthorised. Lark: "It was an unapproved video that got released. We've pulled it down." Lark declined to comment further but added the issue was not "newsworthy" (THE AGE, 8/2).
