Target, MTV Didn't Want Their Ads Appearing Next To 'George Floyd' And 'Black Lives Matter' Stories: Report

Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) and ViacomCBS Inc (NASDAQ: VIAC)-owned MTV reportedly avoided ad placements near stories related to victims of police violence and the Black Lives Matter movement.

What Happened

The advertisers created so-called “blocklists,” which comprised of keywords that they deemed controversial, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

Target’s blocklist included names of police brutality victims such as “Breonna Taylor” and “George Floyd.” Ads were also barred from the news of protests against police violence. 

MTV similarly asked a publisher to avoid placing its ads in stories covering topics such as “Breonna Taylor,” “George Floyd,” “Black Lives Matter,” and “protests.”

A Target spokesperson told the Journal that ad blocking, “does not discount the importance of reporting on topics like Black Lives Matter or the murder of George Floyd.” 

The retailer’s spokesperson claimed that the person consuming the content “may not be receptive to a marketing message from a mass retailer like Target at that time.”

Why It Matters

Ad-blocking has escalated to a new level with blocked terms now spanning “COVID-19” and “coronavirus” on many blocklists, according to the Journal.

Paul Wallace, Vice Media’s vice president for global revenue products and services, revealed that though Black Lives Matter was the most popular coverage for Vice in June, it commanded 57% lower ad prices compared with news on other topics.

Target is among the companies that have temporarily stopped advertising on Facebook Inc (NASDAQ: FB) and its subsidiary Instagram’s platforms in light of the on-going #StopHateForProfit campaign against the social media firm.

Price Action

On Friday, Target shares closed 0.82% higher at $118.36, while CBS Corporation’s share closed 3.76% higher at $22.93. The broadcaster’s shares traded 0.83% higher in the after-hours session.