Iggy Pop In Commercial Controversy

Iggy Pop is in the news for starring in a car insurance television commercial that misleads the public in the UK. Iggy is shown golfing and being himself in the ad for an insurance company as an entertainer he couldn’t really be covered by.

The problem is the insurance company refuses to insure celebs because of added risks. Swiftcover’s ad has Iggy Pop stating, “I got it Swiftcovered! I got insurance on my insurance!”

The fact is the singer isn’t nor according to the company’s policies able to be insured.

Chart Attack reports:

“Because the policy was promoted by a well-known musician, which might lead some viewers to believe the policy covered those who worked in entertainment, when it did not, and because Iggy Pop did not have a policy with Swiftcover, we concluded the ad was misleading,” the ASA said in a report.

The company has no intentions of getting rid of Iggy even though the ad was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

Chart Attack reports:

“Iggy Pop and swiftcover.com have made motor insurance interesting for a change, increasing awareness of swiftcover.com and sending our sales soaring by almost a third, so we would be crazy to lose Iggy,” Swiftcover spokesperson Tina Shortle told British newspaper The Guardian.

The £25 million ($36 million) car insurance ad campaign started up in January.

Punk News reports:

According to a Billboard.com report, complaints object that it is “misleading because it uses a well-known figure from the music industry to promote an insurance service which they believe excludes musicians,” according to an ASA spokesperson. As a result, the ASA has launched an investigation to determine whether the ad breaches the U.K.’s TV Advertising Code.

The owner of Swiftcover, AXA UK says that there is no reference to Iggy Pop’s profession in the ad. He was selected because he’s known as a man who lives life to the fullest.