Mars has pulled all its advertising from YouTube after it appeared alongside controversial drill music videos.
The company said it was “unacceptable” that its ads appeared with these clips, adding that they would not put advertising back on the service until “appropriate safeguards” were put in place.
It comes after an advert for its product Starburst reportedly appeared before a video of the Moscow17 group.
One of its members, Siddique Kamara, was fatally stabbed in Camberwell, London, on Wednesday (August 1). Two other men who were injured have since been arrested and released under investigation.
Moscow17’s music videos for their diss tracks have recently received much attention.
A spokesperson for Mars said (via The Guardian): “It is unacceptable and disappointing to see one of our brands advertised alongside this video content. This clearly breaches our brand safety guidelines and Mars adverts should never run alongside such content.
“We have taken the action to remove all our online advertising on YouTube and can confirm we are working with Google and our media buying agencies to understand what went wrong.
“Until we have confidence that appropriate safeguards are in place, we will not advertise on YouTube.”
YouTube said in its own statement (via The Sun): “We share the deep concern on this issue and don’t want our platform used to incite violence.”
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