Obama blasts BP apology advert
An ad campaign for BP apologising for the oil spill polluting the Gulf of Mexico has been criticized by US President Barack Obama, who has said the money should be spent on clean-up efforts and on compensating fishermen and small business owners who have lost their jobs because of the spill.
The new radio, TV, online and print ads feature BP chief executive Tony Hayward pledging to fix the damage caused by an undersea gusher of crude oil unleashed by an April 20 drilling rig explosion that killed 11 people. “To those affected and your families, I’m deeply sorry,” says Hayward in the advert.
“The Gulf spill is a tragedy that never should have happened,” continues Hayward in the ad. He is then shown talking over images of boom lying in clear water before uncontaminated marshes and healthy pelicans.
The advert shows people walk with trash bags on white sand beaches as the company chief executive talks about the oil giant’s response efforts.
The ads began appearing last week. It ends with the BP chief saying: “we will get this done. we will make this right.”
This story first appeared on pitch
