Dr. Martens Advertisement Featuring Dead Kurt Cobain Pulled

A Dr. Martens ad featuring a dead Kurt Cobain in heaven wearing the famous footwear has been pulled. The print advertisement was published in a single magazine in the United Kingdom last week, but achieved notoriety after being posted on several websites.

The ad shows Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain with wings seated on a cloud. He is wearing white robes and Dr. Martens boots. The tagline in the right corner reads "Dr. Martens. Forever." Similar ads feature three other rock stars, Sid Vicious from The Sex Pistols, Joey Ramone from the Ramones, and Joe Strummer from the Clash.

The ad featuring Cobain has garnered a wide range of opinions. While many bloggers has called it tasteless and offensive, the ad agency that created the ads claimed in a press release posted on The Daily Swarm that the advertising is a "beautiful tribute to four legendary musicians... All four punk-rock icons were known for wearing Dr. Martens boots."

Courtney Love, wife of the late Kurt Cobain, in an interview with People spoke out against the ad through a publicist, decrying the crass commercialism embodied by such an endeavor.

CEO of Dr. Martens parent company, David Suddens agreed, saying that he was not even aware that the ads were being published. In an interview given to The Daily Swarm he stated, "It [the ad] doesn't represent our company at all."

In press release issued by Suddens on behalf of Dr. Martens, the company claims that the ads ran counter to the shoe company's advertising campaign. "Dr Martens did not commission the work as it runs counter to our current marketing activities based on FREEDM, which is dedicated to nurturing grass roots creativity and supporting emerging talent."

Suddens offered a full apology to Courtney Love, as well as the family of the other three musicians. He also immediately fired the advertising agency that created the offending ad, Saatchi and Saatchi London.