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‘Racist’ Nissan commercial angers Saudi Arabia

August 8th, 2008 by James

Saudi Arabia has threatened a boycott of Nissan after the car company aired the following commercial on Israeli TV:

The new campaign by Renault-Nissan caused an uproar in the Gulf when it showed a group of Saudi oil barons screaming and attacking the Renault-Nissan vehicle.

The Saudis are shown leaving a hotel and encountering the new, fuel-efficient vehicle. One man pounds his fists on the car and is then held back by his companions as he shouts at it, “Hawks should peck at you day and night.”

At the end of the commercial, the voice-over says, “It’s clear the oil companies won’t like you.”

“It’s my opinion that Nissan made a huge error by igniting these [racist] instincts,” official Hani al-Wafa told MBC TV, a Saudi-run station headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. “We need to apply punishments… against these things. In order for Nissan to keep its interests in the region, it must apologize.”

Do you think this commercial is racist?
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[hat tip to Damien for sending us this story!]



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32 Comments »

Comment by David
2008-08-08 11:48:51

The Arab oil producing countries should boycott selling any oil to Japan. That would get the point across in a hurry.

 
Comment by NPC
2008-08-08 11:59:06

Stereotyping the typical-enraged oil tycoon? Maybe. But I fail to see anything “racist” pertaining to Saudi’s unless I’m missing something here. I’m open minded so if anyone wants to tell me how it is then please do.

The way I see it, they could do the same with the stereotypical Texas oil tycoon.

 
Comment by ankoku
2008-08-08 12:00:48

@David: Yeah. And likely spark a war. I don’t care if Japan is not allowed to have a standing army. If they stopped selling oil to Japan for a COMMERCIAL I don’t think that anybody would stop Japan, and most likely a lot of people would jump on board. Because if they stopped selling oil to a whole COUNTRY because of one COMMERCIAL that made them angry, who knows what other stupid reason they would stop providing oil for?

Either way, that would never happen because they are greed bastards.

For god’s sakes people it is a COMMERCIAL. And maybe it’s only due to the fact that I don’t understand the language, however it doesn’t appear racist to me at all. Anti-big-oil-companies? Yes. Racist? No.

Comment by David
2008-08-08 17:24:18

It just seems to be go ahead and bite the hand that feeds you because you don’t like the fact that you in fact are being fed at the good graces of your oil baron masters, much as you may not like it thems is da facts.

Time for the PM to do his heavy bowing facade and pretend apologies for offences take, figuratively slap the offending parties, etc. Pretend to be a civilized country. Japan has no choice.

 
 
Comment by CaramelCoconut
2008-08-08 13:11:39

Wow…that WAS racist. First of all, he’s pretty much swearing in the video. Second, this is being aired on Israel TV makes it more of a propaganda video than a commercial.

 
Comment by Neil Duckett
2008-08-08 14:24:55

Nothing racist about it at all.

 
Comment by cliffj
2008-08-08 15:57:24

I really think that ‘racist’ is tossed around far too lightly nowadays. This commercial isn’t by definition racist. It is however offensive and insensitive and it really wasn’t very prudent for a multinational corporation like Renault-Nissan to make a commercial like this.

It is absolutely hilarious though.

 
Comment by folosa
2008-08-08 18:37:05

The commercial says just as much about Israel which is a racist apartheid state.

Comment by ZoneDaiatlas
2008-08-09 00:59:09

Arafat, is that you? I thought you were dead…

 
Comment by Joe
2008-08-09 06:35:55

I don’t think Israel should exist…but getting off topic

 
 
Comment by pete
2008-08-08 19:31:21

there was a very similar print ad from volvo here in switzerland a few months ago: http://www.persoenlich.com/img/news/content/img254686.jpg

 
Comment by Dr. Pepsi
2008-08-08 21:55:21

STEREOTYPING IS NOT ALWAYS RACISM.

 
Comment by Raian
2008-08-09 00:27:56

As has been said already, I agree with the fact that this commercial could certainly be offensive to ‘the oil barons’ but I fail to see it as specifically racist.

Granted they probably shouldn’t have had something akin to swearing in the commercial, however how many times have car companies introduced poorly translated model names etc into foreign countries.

This isn’t really so much about the commercial being racist as it is about offense being taken by something that could be funny if it had been presented better and had the other party had a modicum of good humor.

 
Comment by tom
2008-08-09 12:33:28

Is this a Jewish stereotopical view to Arab?
Why don’t you blaim on Jew?

 
Comment by Eddie
2008-08-09 14:15:06

It IS racist, no doubt about it. Think about where it was aired, who it was marketed to, and then try and tell me it’s not racist.

 
Comment by Nick
2008-08-10 01:20:33

Bwahahaha! Funny commercials are the best entertainment (and most effective marketing tool). But why was it in Russian???

 
Comment by Xacur
2008-08-10 14:04:33

What?? What is racist about that?
I think there are people who want to feel offended.

 
Comment by ダビ
2008-08-10 23:15:34

Not racist

 
Comment by Troy
2008-08-11 03:01:50

There is nothing racist about it at all. It must strike a cord of truth to get em upset in the UAE.

 
Comment by morningstar
2008-08-11 10:45:19

This is a over reaction.

 
Comment by Karakus
2008-08-16 19:48:14

no it is not racist thing, it’s just a arab intolerant!!!

 
Comment by mixzx
2008-08-18 23:47:51

The apocalypse is upon us, brought about by narcisists who demand apologies for silly cartoons and half-witted jokes. Take your pick: Arab, Japanese, American. It doesn’t matter. The catalyst for WW3 will be an off-hand remark from some Hollywood bimbo – a remark found offensive by a monkey sitting on a rock.

Comment by The Overthinker
2008-08-19 01:09:49

Actually I think the apocaplypse will be brought about by ‘tolerant’ ‘liberals’ who actually give these kooks the time of day and media exposure they so desperately crave.

 
 
Comment by Karakus
2008-08-21 00:14:29

and so I thing it’s successful commercial. and funny.

 
Comment by BDiego
2008-08-24 17:33:25

That was such a funny yet tasteless commercial.

 
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