Facebook Bans ‘Fight Club’ Ad
By Anna Johnson on January 11th, 2010Back in November 2009, Facebook banned an EyeWonder banner advertisement for violating the social network’s advertising restrictions.
The ad, created by Moxie Interactive for the release of Fox Home Entertainment’s ‘Fight Club’ Blu-Ray DVD, let users insert their own Facebook content into a clip of the movie, directly within the ad banner. It did so by utilizing Facebook Connect application program interfaces (APIs).
Unfortunately, Facebook’s rules prevent ads from displaying user data – such as their name, profile or photo. Whilst user content may be posted on standalone sites, they may not be displayed within an ad.
Rule-breaking aside, the ad certainly represents innovation in the banner ad space. As reported on ClickZ, Mike Rosner, EyeWonder’s SVP of global sales, explained the beauty of the ad:
“Instead of taking the assets and pushing them out in a widget, we used personal content to pull it in. You log into Facebook, it goes through the pictures and the next time through it pulls your name and pulls you into the ad. Users love to see their own content, so it’s a very engaging experience.”
Facebook, however, banned the ad since it contravened Facebook’s rule that ads must not display user data, regardless of whether such data derives from Facebook or elsewhere. Eager to maintain a positive relationship with Facebook, EyeWonder says it intends to take a ‘fresh approach’ to advertising on the platform.
Meanwhile, according to ClickZ, other campaigns have used Facebook Connect to pull people’s personal Facebook data into ads without objection from the social network.
An example mentioned by eMarketer analyst, Debra Aho Williamson, is the Discovery Channel’s recent Shark Week campaign, Frenzied Waters, which pulled personal Facebook Connect data into a video of a shark attack in which the victim is the Facebook member.
If so, advertisers may be scratching their heads over what is, or is not, really allowed on Facebook. Or at least when Facebook will enforce its rules, and when it will not.
Still, it’s Facebook platform, so Facebook makes the rules…
Source: Ken Liebeskind, “EyeWonder Ad Nixed For Violating Facebook Connect Rules,” ClickZ, Jan 6, 2010
