Yes, I scream for ice cream, but I wouldn't say that ice cream is my religion.
"Ice cream is our religion" is the most recent ad campaign for Antonio Fedirici, an Italian company. It's no shock that Catholics were offended by their latest ad (left), featuring a pregnant nun and the tagline, "immaculately conceived." The British advertising watchdog banned the ad. At least the pope has received a better reception than this Italian import.
You would think a company trying to sell something wouldn't want to offend potential customers, but they don't seem concerned. According to the Telegraph: "The use of religious imagery was in part because of the company's commitment to ice-cream and in part 'to comment on and question, using satire and gentle humour, the relevance and hypocrisy of religion and the attitudes of the church to social issues.'"
Not the first time Antonio Fedirici has gotten in trouble in England. They actually thought an ad with an almost kissing priest and nun wouldn't deeply offend because it was a "light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek portrayal celebrating forbidden Italian temptations." Sure, just like eating ice cream, which I suppose could be a sin if you reach the point of gluttony. Ice cream can make me a bit gluttonous, but these ads do not make me want ice cream.
