the Gruen Transfer you didn't see

For those who don't get/watch ABC1, The Gruen Transfer is a show about advertising - a show which has enjoyed an unlikely (and unforeseen) popularity. Although hosted by a well-known comedian, overall, it's quite serious in its content. It examines how advertising works on us, what goes through the minds of advertising agencies, and even challenges agencies to come up with ways of selling the 'unsellable' - such as minkee whale meat as a Western diet staple. The point is not simply to get cheap laughs - it's to highlight just how well we can be sold something. Even those of us who like to think we can see through advertising campaigns can usually find something in that show to make us sit back and think, 'Urgh, yes, that's me'.

Recently, a segment was filmed which was never shown. The ABC decided to keep it off the air because it thought people might find some of the content too offensive. Thankfully, someone has decided it should be shown, so we can all make up our own minds.

The brief given to the agency was to come up with an ad to end shape discrimination (often called fat discrimination, since its targets tend to be overweight).

This is the ad, and the panel discussions following it.

Presented without comment, but read the introduction before you play the video.