Following outcry over possible removal, YouTube and Meta are changing direction on an ad for an Elon Musk documentary.
Bleecker Street, the studio behind Alex Gibney’s next film Muskwill ultimately be allowed to buy advertising for the trailer on the platform, a YouTube spokesperson said. The Hollywood Reporter. The trailer “has been temporarily restricted by our system. After review, the ad has been allowed to run,” the company said, also posting the message on social media.
Meanwhile, a Meta spokesperson says THR that the decision to reject the ad “was a mistake and we are reinstating the ads.”
Friday, THR reported that YouTube, along with Meta, TikTok, and The trailer was released on Thursday ahead of the film’s October 9 release.
A YouTube spokesperson said the ad is expected to air soon, although as of Saturday morning Bleecker Street had not yet been informed of any changes. The company had appealed YouTube’s initial decision.
Meta’s reversal is particularly notable as the company previously rejected an appeal from Bleecker Street, leaving it with few options for running ads on Instagram and Facebook. The company first commented on the reversal to TechCrunch.
TikTok and X have remained silent and continue not to air the ad.
Gibney’s film examines the full breadth of Musk’s career, taking a critical look at his management of Tesla, SpaceX and Starlink, among other companies. In addition to examining Musk’s role in controlling the narrative about X, the film investigates the tycoon’s time in Washington with DOGE. This calls into question its role as an increasingly powerful electoral actor.
The trailer had filmed a few of these moments, including a photo of Musk at a Donald Trump 2024 campaign rally. This appears to be the official reason for the rejection by social platforms, although the video can hardly be considered a campaign ad by conventional standards.
Social media is a key part of any documentary release campaign, and in this case, marketers’ ability to run ads is a central way for the public to learn more about Musk and the dangers Gibney claims he poses.
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