Truck ad using Martin Luther King speech draws backlash

ATLANTA (Reuters): A TV commercial shown during the Super Bowl that used the voice of the late Martin Luther King Jr. to advertise pickup trucks has been criticised by viewers who found it insulting to the memory of the revered civil rights leader.

The ad for Dodge Ram trucks, seen by millions of football fans during the game’s second quarter, uses the audio of the last major speech King gave before his assassination in 1968, “The Drum Major Instinct,” where he implores people to do good works in selfless service to others. King’s resonant voice is heard saying: “He who is greatest among you shall be your servant,” over images of fire-fighters, teachers and working men and woman with their trucks helping people.

Representatives from Dodge Ram and its parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles were not immediately available for comment. Neither were representatives of King’s estate or the separate non-profit entity the King Centre.

The automotive company’s representatives told ABC News, Forbes and other media that it had received all the necessary permissions.

The use of King’s speeches, images and personal papers and items including his Bible and Nobel Peace prize are closely guarded by the estate and the subject of a long-running public feud among King’s surviving children.

In April 2017, PepsiCo pulled a commercial featuring model Kendall Jenner using a can of the soft drink to ease tensions between protesters and riot police after the ad prompted outrage and ridicule.