We were thinking of naming this post, "Whoever Thinks the New VW Ad is Racist is a Moron," but we decided against it.
That's a really long title.
For the Super Bowl, VW is launching its "Get Happy" campaign. A teaser has been out featuring Jamaican singer and actor Jimmy Cliff (among many infamous YouTube stars) showing that the world just needs to be happy.
VW then released the spot it's planning to air. And, gasp! It features a white man pretending to speak like he's Jamaican.
Like we've never seen that before.
First, there are white Jamaicans. Thinking that the entire island's population is black shows a lack of information (world geography in the U.S. fails yet again). Second, even if the entire island was completely black, there is nothing racist about the commercial. Here it is below.
We think it's funny and very playful. Why people are looking to be offended is boggling.
(P.S. This is coming from a black person with island roots.)
Perhaps the people getting all riled up should take the advice from the ad, and just chill.
Dwayne W. Waite Jr. is partner and principal at JDW: The Charlotte Agency, a marketing and advertising shop in Charlotte, NC. He enjoys consumer behavior, economics, and football.
We were thinking of naming this post, "Whoever Thinks the New VW Ad is Racist is a Moron," but we decided against it.
