SYDNEY: The Atheist Foundation of Australia's attempts to launch a new campaign are being thwarted after APN Outdoor rejected its business.
The Foundation decided to launch an advertising campaign after members of the public contacted them after the recent success of similar campaigns by the Humanists in London.
Atheist Foundation president David Nicholls said the group approached APN with a number of humorous slogans for the campaign, after the original idea – “Atheism – because there is no credible evidence” – was rejected because of the wording.
Despite a number of other ideas presented to APN, the outdoor advertiser rejected the Foundation's $16,000 campaign. “This is extremely disappointing and a severe blow to freedom of expression in Australia," NIcholls said.
"We are witnessing the result of seemingly paranoid executives interfering with pertinent social comment.”
Despite its rejection of the atheist campaign, APN has previously run ads on Adelaide buses displaying the message: "John 3:16 – one the Bible’s most quoted passages."
APN was unwilling to comment on the matter.
Nicholls says there has been an overwhelming response from the media and the public regarding the campaign’s rejection. “I think APN may have made a bit of a blunder here and someone might want to think about giving us a call,” he said.
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