Holiday rental site in hot water over super bowl ads

Super Bowl commercials are designed to create high-profile awareness for their sponsors - but two travel-themed ads that aired during Sunday's N.F.L. showdown are generating as much blowback as buzz.

The pitch for HomeAway.com touts the benefits of renting a home on a trip vs. staying in a hotel room. And it's true that renting an apartment or private home on a trip can be far more comfortable and save big bucks. But for some, the message is overshadowed by its delivery. During the ad, a baby (played by a doll) is accidentally slammed against a glass wall in a cramped, simulated hotel room in a lab setting.

Though the infant was clearly not real and labeled "test baby," the ad has been slammed by those who think showing child abuse -- even simulated -- for entertainment is irresponsible.

USA Today's story by Liz Szabo includes HomeAway's response that it was not intended to glorify infant manhandling. The story quoted a HomeAway press release that said: "We used the test baby scene to create a 'Super Bowl-worthy' moment that breaks through the clutter of so many ads. While everyone loves babies and wouldn't want to see a real infant get mistakenly flung into the air, we hope viewers will get a good laugh from our test baby's unfortunate flight. The comic situation is used to highlight the fact that families, particularly those with children, could use a little extra space when traveling."

Source: USA Today