Nissan commercial angers Saudi Arabia.

Posted by Excellent in Advertising, Car & Vehicle, Video Clips on August 12, 2008 at 1:03 pm


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.”

As seen on JapanProbe

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COMMENT

36 comments to "Nissan commercial angers Saudi Arabia."

  1. ellobie
    August 12th, 2008 at 1:31 pm

    Geez louise, get over it already!

  2. teenytina
    August 12th, 2008 at 1:36 pm

    Nissan took their stupid pill that morning.

    "You know what wouldn't piss people in the Middle East off? Making fun of them! They always take jokes about their culture and religion so well!"

  3. Skipweasel
    August 12th, 2008 at 1:48 pm

    So, let me get this straight...
    They propose to overcome something showing them being hateful by hating it?

  4. Lasse
    August 12th, 2008 at 2:01 pm

    So basically this commercial tells the truth?

  5. redphone
    August 12th, 2008 at 2:02 pm

    What the hell - I can't believe stuff like that gets approved. Racist crapola!

  6. Jae
    August 12th, 2008 at 2:04 pm

    So, uh they have a human rights record that smells worse than a dumpster full of 3 day old dog poo, and people are upset at the supposed "racist" tones of this commercial?

    There's some pretty straight priorities.

  7. 66577
    August 12th, 2008 at 2:25 pm

    never been so proud to drive my non fuel efficient 99 nissan altima... I know they will but I hope the dont apologies, the there are more terrorist groups based out of Saudi Arabia then both Iran and Afghanistan combined.

  8. Bender
    August 12th, 2008 at 2:31 pm

    When AL Jazeera shows footage of israelis killing Palestinian children and women hell breaks over in the USA and it gets banned and called racist and it supports terrorism... I'm Saudi and I dont mind jokes being made about my country.. if this ad was made in any other country other than israel nobody would care.

  9. sticknick
    August 12th, 2008 at 2:35 pm

    Man, people just look for things to bother.

    The entire population of the world needs to relax. Big time.

  10. Rhea
    August 12th, 2008 at 2:45 pm

    Wow, what a bad idea.

  11. Jsahko
    August 12th, 2008 at 2:47 pm

    Imagine the uproar if it had been Texas oilmen in cowboy hats.

  12. DOJ
    August 12th, 2008 at 3:35 pm

    @Jsahko - wow, my thoughts exactly

  13. Patrick Nice
    August 12th, 2008 at 3:40 pm

    Since when is a commercial featuring the leaders of an oil company racist? In that part of the world, that is how they dress. If you had the same commercial in the USA featuring an oil company executive wearing a suit pounding on the car, nobody would call it racist.

    I'm personally sick of the entire world pulling the race card every time they don't like something.

  14. CheeseDuck
    August 12th, 2008 at 4:07 pm

    Huh. Never woulda thought that it would make them Iraqis angery.

  15. Some guy
    August 12th, 2008 at 4:44 pm

    Why am I reminded of this exchange from The Young Ones:

    "Your majesty, the British ambassador is outside to apologise for his comments about our alleged mandatory cruelty."

    "I will see him now."

    "Which part would you like to see first?"

  16. Myackie
    August 12th, 2008 at 4:45 pm

    @Bender...

    I'd like to see that footage...but you know it doesn't even exist.

  17. Neatoramawontsendmeapassword
    August 12th, 2008 at 4:59 pm

    Not the best idea to bite the hand that feeds you... oil.

    But then, this commercial was for Israeli TV, so I guess they had to get a racist shot in. Now, if this had been made for American TV... well, most people probably wouldn't have gotten it, for one thing. And just the sight of Muslim dress would have probably started boycotts of Nissan...

  18. mjgolli
    August 12th, 2008 at 5:01 pm

    Race this, race that... Whatever happened to the HUMAN race?

    @Some guy: "The Young Ones", now that is a show I miss!

  19. matt
    August 12th, 2008 at 5:23 pm

    "Nissan must apologize. And submit to pecking, day and night, by hawks."

  20. Idil
    August 12th, 2008 at 5:40 pm

    The Saudis are absolutely right.

    And dont tell me their actions prove the commercial... if they were to make commercials of Americans being stupid, fat, ignorant, hamburger eating couch potatoes (as is the International stereotype, and as you know not necessarily the truth), and if that was practically the only stereotype broadcasted in the rest of the world, as is the case of the saudis and the nissan commercial, then Im pretty sure you'd get just as mad too.

  21. anathema
    August 12th, 2008 at 7:18 pm

    Mad? Maybe. Call them racist and demand its censorship? Doubtful.

  22. Web
    August 12th, 2008 at 8:18 pm

    No Sensahuma

  23. ted
    August 12th, 2008 at 9:20 pm

    Tiida? What the heck kinda name is that for a car?

    Racist? That may be a little harsh. Hateful? Considering where the commercial aired, yup. Insensitive? Stupid? Sure.

    I assume they knew they'd get that sort of reaction. Maybe if they pictured Mohammed shooting at the car, they could start a jihad.

  24. Bender
    August 12th, 2008 at 9:42 pm

    @Myackie
    Here:
    http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=YB2iBfoJtCM
    I can get you a 1000 more if you want...
    just because you didnt see them doesnt mean they dont exist.

  25. leongsoon
    August 12th, 2008 at 9:48 pm

    That was pretty clever, and I don't think it was racist; it just so happened that mostly oil barons are Arabs. It wouldn't have been much believable if they cast, say, and African or Chinese in that role now, would it? I'm not trying to spark racism here, I'm a Chinese too, maybe Nissan played the stereotype card too strong, but they got the message across.

  26. Johnny Cat
    August 12th, 2008 at 10:55 pm

    Holy crap, Bender.

    I think I just saw something I wasn't prepared for.

    Mayackie? Thanks for inviting snuff.

  27. NyaR
    August 13th, 2008 at 12:38 am

    how the hell is that racist?
    Yes, the guy over there is a Saudi. But hes also an oil-baron, as the commercial clearly states (in russian, which i speak). Its not a random Saudi guy getting angry, its an oil baron. Oil barons sell oil, they would get upset if people stopped buying it? To call this racist is to be stupid.

  28. valerie
    August 13th, 2008 at 1:02 am

    Too funny. I think more funny commericals should be made. Who cares what the arabs think? They ain't got a sense of humor? Not my problem.

  29. Lasse
    August 13th, 2008 at 5:14 am

    Idil >> Germans must have been ridiculed a gazillion times as goose-stepping comic figures in commercials, movies, print ads, etc. etc. And you don't see Germany demand boycots.

  30. Idil
    August 13th, 2008 at 6:35 am

    Valerie... im sure you'd be angry too if someone was stereotyping crap about your country.

  31. Lenore
    August 13th, 2008 at 10:51 am

    Lasse,

    Actually, you do. And really, is it ok for them to be stereotyped that way?

  32. Thomas
    August 13th, 2008 at 12:22 pm

    "if they were to make commercials of Americans being stupid, fat, ignorant, hamburger eating couch potatoes..."

    we probably wouldn't do anything about it, since at the end of the day most of us are ignorant, fat, stupid couch potatoes. Sorry. I calls 'em like I sees 'em.

  33. RM
    August 13th, 2008 at 9:11 pm

    This ad isn´t racist at all.

  34. Lasse
    August 14th, 2008 at 4:27 am

    Lenore >> I am German myself, i think its funny. ;-)

  35. misanthropy
    August 15th, 2008 at 2:55 pm

    i suppose all the soft drink commercials showing black people playing basketball are racist too.

    It was a funny commercial. The mistake we make is to ask those people their opinions on things. They are so sensitive yet cut peoples hands off for shoplifting.

  36. K H Brown
    October 31st, 2009 at 5:40 pm

    Fuck y'all ya'll

    They are just as bad as each other, not that 'we' have a moral leg to stand upon.


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