The Journal's Brian Steinberg reports on Nissan's decision to pull/revise a current ad featuring the music/tune from the Bridge on the River Kwai - Colonel Bogey's March
It's a sorry state of affairs for the following reasons:
1) If the deed was so dastardly/egregious in the first place, why the hell did the agency, TBWA\Chiat\Day, not do its due dilligence in the first place? Should they have been a little more savvy, cautious, responsible?
2) I think not...Nissan is a Japanese company and if anyone should have been aware of sensitivities, it should have been them? Shame on the client then for not being proactive and self-aware, right?
3) I think not again...here's the kicker: they received less than 10 complaints. This is downright comical that all it takes is 10 complaints - no doubt by people who probably would never even be interested in driving a Titan truck. What about all those consumers who DIDN'T take offence to the tune?
Whomever was responsible for being this reactionary and spineless is really the party/ies at fault. If you're so bloody concerned about negative feedback, either you should have done the legwork upfront, OR you should reach out to consumers and get a collective/communal vote of confidence, before folding like a house of cards.
I guess the pendulum of blame would probably stop somewhere in clientland, in the offices of the corporate affairs legal eagles.
4) In any event, I wonder how many consumers didn't even make the connection...or even if they did, didn't care. Like one website states, this tune also became synonymous with the infamous "Hitler, he only had one ball" lyrics, which were added by WWII servicemen.
Please don't get me wrong...I'm not condoning insensitivity...and this in no way, reflects my personal view about POW treatement during WWII...I'm just saying:
- it's not possible to please everyone all the time
- it's unfair to allow a vocal minority (and a risk-averse, conservative corporation) to bias against a silent majority
- context is king...and in the case of this particular example, I'm afraid my point of view would have to be, "if you don't like it, don't buy the car"
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