Ferguson said: "At Octopus, we back pioneering companies that are looking to change their industries for the better. Dead Happy was founded with the clear purpose of starting conversations on, and changing attitudes towards, death. That is a mission we wholeheartedly support.
"However, on this occasion, the company’s advertising campaign has taken that mission too far. We have full empathy with the families and communities affected by the campaign and have communicated our position to the company."
On January 26, the British Medical Association also spoke out about the advert, not least because of the poor reflection on the medical practitioners.
It told FTAdviser: “This advert is distasteful, disrespectful and offensive, and no doubt incredibly distressing for the families and loved ones of Shipman’s victims.
"It is also deeply insulting to doctors, who embark on their career driven by their desire to care for people and help make them better. The crimes of Shipman were abominable and in no way reflective of the medical profession.”
