Testing Labs Says Toshiba’s Irresponsible Ad Belittles Their Efforts

Toshiba Satellite Ultrabook’s promotional ad has evoked strong reactions from medical research organizations, who say the ad belittles and undermines their efforts and have dubbed it socially reckless and irresponsible.

The ad shows that prior to releasing any of its products; Toshiba subjects it to meticulous and rigorous testing to ensure that the buyer gets a faultless product.

The ad features a “professional medical test subject”, who is depicted as human guinea pig and has to put up with and bear a wide range of absurd and bizarre side effects.

The ad shows the ‘human guinea pig’ going through a series of tests that make his eyebrows stand straight and make him swollen, purple and wobbly on his legs.

However, he says, he doesn’t object to being a test match, except when it comes to his laptop. He likes it pre-tested and finds its perfect in every aspect. With swollen lips and hair flying in all directions, he tells the ad watchers, that he detests technical companies that treat laptop buyers like “test monkeys”, adding that Toshiba is not one of them.

“Test monkeys” have always been the target of Animal rights activists, who say that the helpless animals are subjected to lots of abuse, with harmful chemicals tested on them, leaving them mutilated and often, dead.

The lighthearted and funny attempt to ridicule and mock test subjects and clinical testing has not gone down well with the professional medical community and they have reacted with some very angry comments on Toshiba’s YouTube Channel.

“This message completely undermines the efforts of the FDA, NCI, institutional review boards and other medical research organizations who work so hard every day to ensure that clinical trials are conducted SAFELY so that participants are protected and NOT harmed,” one viewer noted. “Medical research is important and this trivializes the whole process. Toshiba should be ashamed,” says another.

However, the miniscule group of medical testers and participants is hardly likely to carry the clout of larger audiences, they will need external support to induce an apology from Toshiba or get them to withdraw the ad.