Hyundai Suicide Ad: Automaker Pulls Commercial Depicting Man Trying To Kill Himself

Korean automaker Hyundai has pulled an advertisement that depicted a man trying to commit suicide by locking himself with exhaust fumes in one of the automaker's SUVs, the iX35.

The clip, titled, "Pipe Job" features a sad-looking middle-aged man in his garage, surreptitiously taping a pipe running into his vehicle.

He then sits inside, breathing audibly, with a grim look on his face.

In the next scene, it is nighttime, and the man comes out of the garage alive and well. A tagline appears on screen, reading, "The new iX35 has 100 percent water emissions," and therefore, cannot kill the man.

According to CNN, the ad was made by Hyundai's European advertising agency Innocean Europe.

The spot hit website AdLand recently, to a puzzled and saddened audience. The public's response was so negative that the car company issued an apology, first from its North American branch, saying, "We understand that some people may have found the iX35 video offensive. We are very sorry if we have offended anyone."

Then, a more formal apology was released.

"Hyundai Motor deeply and sincerely apologizes for the offensive viral ad," their statement said. "The ad was created by an affiliate advertising agency, Innocean Europe, without Hyundai's request or approval. It runs counter to our values as a company and as members of the community. We are very sorry for any offense or distress the video caused. More to the point, Hyundai apologizes to those who have been personally impacted by tragedy."

Earlier this year, Ford Motor Company's mock-ups accidentally got leaked, including an ad that mocked former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, along with the Kardashian sisters.

The ad features the caption, "leave your worries behind with Figo's extra-large boot," and depicts the famous trio of sisters bound and gagged in a Ford trunk.

The automaker also had to issue an apology quickly after their advertising agency WPP caught wind of the fact that the questionable material had gone viral.