NBC Pulls Nike 'Slasher' Ad

September 19 -- NEW YORK (Reuters) — NBC, responding to viewer complaints, has dropped a commercial for Nike sports shoes and clothing that features a female Olympic runner being pursued by a chain-saw-wielding man.

A spokesman said today that the ad, which was aired over the weekend as NBC kicked off its coverage of the Olympics in Sydney, Australia, had been pulled because of complaints. He did not say how many complaints the network received.

"We were fully prepared to react quickly" to complaints, said Rick Gitter, who oversees advertising standards for General Electric-owned NBC. The network had accepted the ad "with some trepidation" and "subject to significant adverse audience reaction," he said.

The spot, by the Portland, Ore.-based ad agency Wieden & Kennedy, is part of a campaign with the theme "Why sport?" promoting Nike's sponsorship of the Olympic Games.

In a spoof of horror movies, the commercial features U.S. Olympic runner Suzy Hamilton being chased by a masked man through a house and then into dark woods. But she puts on a burst of speed and leaves her attacker panting in the dust.

As he drops his weapon, the following words appear on the screen: "Why sport? Because you'll live longer."

There was no immediate comment from Nike, but a spokeswoman for the ad agency told The New York Times that although Wieden & Kennedy had expected some complaints, it was "unfortunate" that NBC dropped the ads.