Condom Advert Feedback

[fvghalliwell]

Hi there, I'm relatively new to Spotify. I love the service, but I'm kind of weirded out by one thing: of late, they've been playing two Trojan (condom) ads. This is fine in and of itself, but I listen to my music in common areas a lot, places where my family can hear. When it comes to the younger kids, I'm nervous about them hearing it (they also have Spotify accounts of their own, so I'm a little concerned about that, too, because the ads are a bit...specific); with the older relatives, I know it'll just be too weird. Is there any way to report an ad or stop if from playing on your personal Spotify? I don't mind ads at all--I just mind this ad, considering the fact that it's legitimately weird. Thank you in advance!

[Dranu]

Tap, dear sir, you do realize that just because it is a free service they are not offering thisout of the goodness of their obscene hearts right?  They need consumers so their ads have a profit base.  Hence, if they do not supply the public with a product they like (free or otherwise) they lose money.  Therefore it is not 'silly' to complain.

[emmy0628]

I second that!  We have one channel set up just for the kids (3 and 5) and heard the Trojan ad twice in a row-less than 10 minutes.  I now have a 3 year old going around the house singing the jingle since I couldn't make it to the computer fast enough the second time.  I'll be sure to tell his teacher and friends' parents where he learned it if he does it at school.  I'm guessing not the word of mouth spotify wants?

If I hear it again, we're done with spotify and will go back to Pandora where the ads are appropriate.

[nfrazer1]

I appreciate the music that spotifuggle provides, but I will also stop using spotify because of the inappropriate commercials. 

[michaelmfm]

It is ridiculous that you all are playing condom ads. This is completely offensive and a disgrace. I do not want to be listening to worship music and then hear about how you have the greatest condoms on the planet. If these do not stop then I will stop being a spotify user

[NotMyRealName]

Umlimited or Premium spotify is free of ads fyi.

[NotMyRealName]

Teen pregnancy is still a major issue on most of the developed countries in the world.

Spotify has the opportunity to deliver ads concerning protection and safe sex directly to young teen and tweens directly to them. Keeping the information away from them, will only led to STDS and pregnancy. This is something that you shouldn't stop doing, don't bow to the pressure of "I am offended by this" and "My 10 year old listens to spotify" people, sex is a natural and health thing and doing it safe, makes it even more fun.

Spotify, I salute you for your great music service and being a information lighthouse in these dark ages.

[thestridder]

agreed...condoms are great...yipee.  STOP the ads please..my 5 year old and 8 year old dont need this education yet.  you obviously dont have kids....oh I guess you use condoms all the time....good for you.

[NotMyRealName]

1) Spotify is a service for people above 13 years of age. Read the terms of service.

2) Buy Unlimited or Premium, problem solved.

If Spotify gets a "kids filter", not a single advertiser will touch them.

 

"9. Children

For users in the United States, the Spotify Service is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are under 13 years of age, do not use the Service and do not provide any personal information to us. If we discover that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we will delete it."

[mkruk]

We have recently been absolutely beaten over the head with these condom ads- they play often and repeatedly. I don't think there is another commercial playing right now. Only condoms. 

I like to put on some music when my 4 year old son and I are cleaning the house or when we are eating breakfast on the weekend, but it is incredibly embarrassing and inappropriate to have these commercials pling for him. 

If I can't monitor what my child hears and sees in Spotify, I will no longer use it. 

Please keep advertisements family friendly, or at least allow us to avoid those types of R-rated commercials. 

[rayvn1]

Just adding my voice to the pile of other complaints. Ok, I have no problem whatsoever with hearing condom commercials on Spotify BUT (like so many others)

1) IT'S NSFW! I love listening to Spotify at work, but I've had to stop over the last week since my coworkers and I cringe when it starts blaring every 5 minutes

2) It's all that's been on for days. It seems like every fricking commercial.

I'm guessing this ad campaign has been ramped to build Trojan sales before New Years, and I sincerely hope it will be cut back to a reasonable amount soon. I understand Spotify is beholden to its advertisers, but couldn't they start playing the Trojan ads between a certain time frame? 7pm to 7am? Something?

Probably not. And yeah, yeah, upgrade blah blah blah - but it's a lot easier to go back to Pandora until the ad campaign calms down.

[dan00500]

Spotify,

Please get with the times and let me provide feedback on what ads would be valuable for me to listen to.  Advertising is customizable these days.  Just look at Google+ and Facebook.  Let us users provide you with some basic demographic data and parental-type preferences, then you're in business to provide users acceptable ads and increase value to advertisers.

[fvghalliwell]

@NotMyRealName: I have to object to a few of your points. One, I am over 18 and I DON'T WANT TO HEAR CONDOM ADS. I'm sorry, I just don't. Especially not when my younger siblings and/or relatives are running around. They don't have Spotify--I do. And I play it because I like music. Also, this ad is not educational. Not in the slightest. It's just a woman and man trying to decide what type of deluxe condom to purchase. It's a very uncomfortable ad. 

[dan00500]

Spotify... Please give users a mechanism to give you feedback on what ads are appropriate and appreciated, as well as what's offensive and unwanted.  Facebook does this sort of thing.  The concept is proven and works.  It's also the prevailing direction of advertising in the digital world.  Your advertisers will get increased value for their money when they know their ads are reaching qualified users...rather than making them mad...a backlash that ought to make advertisers think twice about advertising with you.

[3Jsand1D]

Hey There,

So enjoy Spotify, and do not mind the commercials, but the condom commercials on Saturday morning, well, that just over the top!  It was even the extended commercial, why????  Do you think people need to be talked into buying them?

Please air these commercials later in the night, when kids are likely not going to be listening.  I walk out of the room often when my kids are still listening, and for me to then go have a conversation on what this means, angers me!  I am not ready to have this discussion just yet with one of my kids.

I would appreciate you making better advertising decisions when it comes to programming.  Consider that we have the radio on and there might be kids listening.  If I have an opportunity to hear this again, I will drop you like a bad habit and will make sure every FB friend that listens, also drops you like a bad habit:)))

Please head the requests coming in to you all, this wildly inappropiate.

Thank You!

[fvghalliwell]

As I suggested I would do, here is a petition to try to get Spotify to listen to our request for an ad filter. To be 100% clear, the intent is that Spotify allow us to filter ads so that those who are uncomfortable hearing ads such as the Trojan ad have some kind of option. https://www.change.org/petitions/spotify-create-a-family-friendly-ad-filter#share

• feel free to pass the petition along to others
• please be considerate in your comments, both in this thread and on the petition
• mods, if you must delete this, I'd appreciate some kind of PM explaining Spotify's intended future with these ads
• thank you all for your consideration and support 🙂

[Peter__]

No need for a petition. 

You can already show Spotify that this feature is needed by adding kudos and comments to this ideas topic.  

Peter

[NotMyRealName]

@ fvghalliwell

Well, that is understandable and your points are valid. That you don't want to hear them is understandable and that won't help the company behind at all, because you will only hate them - no company wants that. Being offended over a condom ad is ridiculous, there is tons of other stuff that is way worse - nothing mentioned, nothing left out. (I'm not saying you are offended over it, but i've seen a couple of people using this "reason").

That kids listen to these ads is unfortunate, no doubt. But when the advertisers target their ads to the crowd, and most people are capable of using a condom - most adults that is. But keep in mind that ads pay for your music, and the option to pay for it is always there.

The ad might not be educational, but it atleast tells about the product itself (the condom) and that is a natural thing to use - which is the point. I haven't heard the ad, but I don't need to. As long as it doesn't feature hardcore adult sounds and any kind of profanity, I really can't see the problem.

[abbyprice]

It's quite shocking and unappreciated to be interrupted by boomingly intrusive Trojan condom commercials while my 78-yr-old mother, 3-yr-old granddaughter and I are listening to wholesome, child-appropriate music.  I beg you, please stop . . .

[abbyprice]

I'm a bit of a techno-idiot. Can you recommend another service?  Thanks . . .

[abbyprice]

I'm a bit of a techno-idiot. Can you recommend another service?  Thanks . . .