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Visa suspends marketing with Morgan Freeman amid allegations
By Adrianne Pasquarelli. Published on May 24, 2018.
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Morgan Freeman in season 2 of 'The Story of God.'
Credit: National Geographic/Reza Riazi
Marketers are beginning to distance themselves from Morgan Freeman following allegations of inappropriate behavior. Visa said Thursday it was suspending all marketing featuring the actor, while TransLink, the Vancouver transit system, said it would be pausing its collaboration with Freeman, just one day after announcing that Freeman would voice rider announcements this summer.
"We are aware of the allegations that have been made against Mr. Freeman," a Visa spokeswoman said. "At this point, Visa will be suspending our marketing in which the actor is featured."
Freeman's TransLink announcements are part of an ad campaign with Visa Canada for its tap-to-pay offering.
"In light of information we've learned this morning of allegations regarding actor Morgan Freeman, TransLink has decided to pause his voice announcements as part of a Visa ad campaign on our transit system," TransLink said in a statement, adding that it will discuss the matter further with Visa.
On Thursday morning, CNN reported allegations that Freeman engaged in inappropriate behavior, including making sexual comments about female employees and creating a toxic work environment at Revelations Entertainment, the company he runs with business partner Lori McCreary. Freeman joins several others of his generation, including Charlie Rose, Kevin Spacey and Jeffrey Tambor, who have faced similar accusations.
Freeman's publicist did not respond to a request for comment.
Freeman's well-recognized baritone is frequently heard in commercial voiceovers for brands including Visa. The actor also recently starred in a high-profile Super Bowl spot for Mtn Dew. He has served as the narrator for documentaries such as the Academy Award-winning "March of the Penguins" and hosts National Geographic's "The Story of God."
National Geographic did not respond to a request for comment.
Freeman's Mtn Dew ad has not aired on TV since May 14, according to iSpot. A representative from PepsiCo, which owns the soda brand, confirmed that the talent rights for the ad expired.
Several spots in Visa's "Everywhere you want to be" campaign that use Freeman's voice, including "Party" and "Banana Boat," are currently airing, according to iSpot. The actor is also voicing Visa's FIFA World Cup campaign, which stars soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Two years ago, Freeman provided the voiceover for an ad in Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. In the spot, he asks, "Our children are looking to us. What example will we set?"
Contributing: E.J. Schultz, Jeanine Poggi
Adrianne Pasquarelli
A reporter with Ad Age since 2015, Adrianne Pasquarelli covers the marketing strategies of retailers and financial institutions. She joined Ad Age after a dozen years of writing for Crain's New York Business, where she also focused on the retail industry. Over the course of her career, she has won awards from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, the National Association of Real Estate Editors and the Jesse H. Neal Awards.
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