Microsoft Xbox officials say they are pulling their advertising from the E! Channel’s Playboy’s “Girls Next Door” program and don’t have plans to restore it, according to a Florida family organization that monitors advertisers on objectionable projects and runs related e-mail campaigns.
“This is the first time that Microsoft has officially communicated their intent not to advertise on a program monitored by Florida Family Association,” said a statement from FFA chief Dave Caton [pictured]. “Microsoft’s response also mentioned a corporate policy regarding advertisements. This is a good sign since FFA’s monitoring efforts have recorded Microsoft advertisements on other explicit shows.”
The Florida Family Association is a non-profit organization whose website declares it works to improve and protect the nation’s moral environment.
WND reported when the organization recently uncovered a chain of pornographic websites that tricked companies into posting and paying for corporate ads on sexually explicit pages.
Now FFA is confirming Microsoft’s decision to abandon advertising on the “Girls Next Door” presentation.
“Microsoft had advertised on more than 10 episodes of Playboy’s ‘Girls Next Door’ during the last two weeks of November,” the organization said. “Microsoft was initially unresponsive to e-mails from the Florida Family Association office just as they were when they advertised on the show earlier.”
Then FFA, which communicates daily with corporate officials about advertisements on explicit programs on unrestricted networks, launched an e-mail campaign to encourage supporters to contact Microsoft about their concerns over its support for explicit nudity.
The corporation followed up with a confirmation to Caton of its abandonment of Playboy’s program.
The letter signed by Charlotte Stuyvenberg, who was identified as the general manager for Xbox Marketing Communications, said the company “recently received a number of letters appearing to have been driven by a posting on your website (www.floridafamily.org) regarding concern about Microsoft’s recent Xbox advertising.”
She continued, “I wanted to make you aware that through a consistent evaluation of advertising placement, we had previously made the decision to discontinue advertising from the programming in question. There are currently no Microsoft ads running during the programming identified on your site, nor are they planned in the future.”
Stuyvenberg went on to note that all Xbox 360 campaigns must follow the policies of the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, “as well as Microsoft’s own corporate policies.”
“We continuously strive to balance creativity, freedom of expression, and personal choice, at the same time upholding our responsibility to create an environment in which everyone can enjoy the benefits of interactive entertainment,” she wrote.
Caton’s organization confirmed that “Girls Next Door” “frequently contain scenes involving nudity including the shooting of pictures for Playboy magazines and footage for Playboy DVDs.”
“The program appears to be nothing more than an infomercial to promote Playboy magazines, DVDs and website. Playboy’s ‘Girls Next Door’ is the only show that runs on unrestricted, advertiser supported television that profiles a porn company. Any child with a remote can watch this explicit program. Advertising dollars help make this possible,” the organization said.
FFA campaigns already have influenced more than 340 advertisers to stop advertising on the program, officials said.