Dunkin’ Donuts Ad in Thailand Causes Uproar

 

However, at least in the campaign’s intended market, the ad appears to be a  smash hit. Nadim Salhani, CEO of Dunkin’ Donuts Thailand told the AP that donut sales have gone up 50% since the ad  launched — an increase he credits to interest in the company’s new  marketing. The CEO was also unapologetic, insisting that criticism of the  ad was merely ”paranoid American thinking.  ”I’m sorry,” said Salhani, “but this is a marketing campaign, and it’s working very well for us.”

“Charcoal Donut” is certainly not the first Thai ad to be called racist. The  country has been home to a  brand of mops called “Black Man,” featuring the titular character in a  tuxedo as its logo. Another Thai product — a skin whitening cream — advertises  that lighter skinned people are more attractive to employers, and a black herbal  toothpaste maker has run television  commercials with the tagline “Appearance can be deceiving.” Another ad by  the same company stated, “It’s black, but it’s good.”

The cultural insensitivity extends even beyond race. In  July, students at Chulalongkorn University apologized for a banner that  placed Adolf Hitler in between superheroes like Batman and Captain America. The  schools dean removed the banner, explaining that ”Hitler was supposed to  serve as a conceptual paradox to the superheroes.” Hitler was also prominently featured on a billboard for one of the nation’s  wax museums.

Despite these examples, Human Rights Watch reports  that offensive advertising in Thailand is in a gradual decline. As  Robertson told the Los Angeles Times, this donut ad is a relic of  an earlier era. The broad trend has been to move away from this kind of  racist type advertising,” explained Robertson. “Unfortunately, this  advertisement seems to be a bit of a throwback.”

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/08/31/dunkin-donuts-ad-causes-uproar-in-thailand/#ixzz2dfshqVlL

 

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