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Nationwide Have Contacted Police After Flo And Joan Receive Death Threats And Abuse

Nationwide Have Contacted Police After Flo And Joan Receive Death Threats And Abuse

Their songs have attracted the ire of Internet trolls who are less than impressed with their efforts

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

We all get annoyed at the sheer amount of advertising on the telly - there's too much and... well, yes, it's annoying. However, most of us find a way to block them out and not waste our time or money on whatever they are trying to hawk us.

That doesn't go for everyone though, it seems. Nationwide Building Society has had to seek advice from the police for the sheer level of abuse and threats that are being levelled at the stars of their latest ad campaign.

The comedy duo of sisters Flo and Joan have been in the building society's latest advertising campaign - however, their songs have attracted the ire of Internet trolls who are less than impressed with their efforts, and this now appears to have resulted in death threats.

One user said: "So who's chipping in to get these two singing sisters from the Nationwide advert brutally murdered?"

Another said: "Hypothetically - If #floandjoan (the two singing witches from the Nationwide advert) were to suddenly go missing in mysterious circumstances, there'd actually be 60 million suspects."

While it is unlikely that these are credible threats, it's a serious issue and Nationwide's Chief Marketing Officer Sara Bennison said: "When we saw an audition tape for Flo & Joan, gut feel told us all that they were a delightfully fresh take on things like loyalty which are at the heart of Nationwide.

Flo and Joan.
YouTube / Nationwide Building Society

"Social media has provided a great instant barometer of reaction - good and bad. The huge amounts of likes and shares have been great."

"But then there are others who have chosen to post the most vile, abusive and misogynistic comments about the duo. It is not just our Flo & Joan adverts that generate these comments; it is also our adverts that feature people of different colours, backgrounds and perceived sexuality, which attract the most criticism.

"That's why it is important to call out those persistent offenders who put out vile comments on a regular basis and who should really know better.

Flo and Joan.
YouTube/Nationwide Building Society

She continued: "'That is why Nationwide is looking to work with other brands, industry bodies, such as ISBA, and the Met Police to look at the true scale of this worrying trend to spread hate from behind a keyboard and attempt to create a solution to tackle the issue.

"It's one thing not to like an advert, another to threaten to kill the stars of it. Abuse is abuse and that's never OK in our book."

Featured Image Credit: YouTube / Nationwide Building Society

Topics: UK News