Geico’s series of caveman commercial promotes that Geico.com is "so easy even a caveman can do it." In the spots, the cavemen actually are very civilized and intelligent. They were very mad and Geico apologized. The series is like a story for people to follow. It makes people laugh and remember Geico.
Not sure if Netflix is trying to do the same. In one of its new commercial, a guy introduces Netflix.com to a room of people who all meant to look uneducated and not smart, including cavemen, Pinocchio and two Asian fishermen. I was very upset. Seriously, this commercial really pissed me off. But my husband, who is also an Asian found it quite funny. I tried to ask several Asian friends but none contacted have seen the spot yet. Nevertheless, I am very sure I am not the only one who found the spot very offensive.
It is common sense that if you have a TV spot trying to make fun of a particular group of people, you should do some research to make sure the group is ok with it and could laugh at the spot as well. I wonder if Netflix did the homework.
Chevy’s recent spot features a sumo wrestler in an Aveo. The message is small car, big capacity. The car manufacturer was sensitive enough to consult with its Asian marketing agency if Asian, especially Japanese, would find the creative offensive. It turns out Asians like the creative as well. Chevy later decided to translate the commercials and put it in Asian TV stations as well.
Take away for marketers: Be sensitive.
Technorati Tags:
Asian American
, Asian Marketing
, Chevy
, Geico
, Netflix
1 comment:
The people in the classroom in the netflix commercial are supposed to be employees of netflix: they represent the movies themselves. Thus the wide variety of characters (incl. pinocchio) There's another version of the commercial where there's a pair of people making out during the whole commercial, and at the end the teacher says "that includes you, romantic comedy!" It's not a slight against asians at all.
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