FaithWorld

Italy’s “no-God” bus campaign gets a flat tire

By Philip Pullella
January 18, 2009
advertising | atheist | catholic | God | italy

Last week I wrote about Italy’s atheist association planning to get on the “no God” ad bandwagon by running their own ads on public buses in the northern city of Genoa. Not so fast. Put on the brakes. Someone decided that it ain’t gonna be that way.

The group, the Italian Union of Atheists and Rationalist Agnostics (UAAR), now says the publicity agency has informed it that the ads can’t run. The agency said the ads violated the advertising code.

(Photo: Planned Italian bus ad saying“The bad news is that God doesn’t exist. The good news is that you don’t need him.”/UAAR)

The UAAR is wondering why the ad was not considered unethical when they sent the contract to the agency for signing.

The UAAR said it suspects that pressure by local conservative politicians and the local Roman Catholic Church undermined the whole project.  They group says they may try placing the ads on public transport in other cities.

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