8Asians.com - Latest Comments in “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

women for asian men — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:42:41 -0000

this is news to me that an asian wrote that commercial .i'm not even sure if indians condsider themselves "asian". which is a whole nuther can of worms i guess :/

nice article guys.

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Robert — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:57:59 -0000

Yes, it is.

What good is having power if you're unable to exercise it? It's the same as not having it to begin with. It's the end result that is important, not the process. If you don't act on your desires, you'll never realize your plans, correct?

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Lana — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:25:41 -0000

I disagree, Robert. It's not the same.

People, regardless of what race/ethnicity, need to voice their opinions when they feel they've been disrespected. If people just sit quietly by and do nothing, then they are not exercising their options, so if I'm not saying/doing anything, then I haven't even begun to show my value/leverage. Why? Because I haven't used it.

The voice is a powerful weapon. So is money......

Neither will be known, though, if they're not used...........

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Robert — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 06:02:01 -0000

Also, just to add one more small point, I always hear this phrase: "Well, we tried." No one gives a shit if you tried, it's about what you've accomplished that matters. When you write up a resume, do you put what you've actually accomplished in life? Or do you put all your attempts?

It's about end results, not attempts. Is anyone surprised that Asian Americans haven't made that many social gains? Hell, I'm not.

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Robert — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 05:59:33 -0000

Lana, that's the same as not having any value or leverage.

I think everyone, at some point, needs to work in the financial industry for one reason alone; it shows you how brutal people and *real* some people can be. Life isn't complicated, folks. There is a rhyme and reason to everything and how the world ends up the way it does.

I don't mean to be harsh but the more I observe the Asian American community and how it "troubleshoots" issues, the more I sit back and laugh. Not only are the solutions to problems wrong but they're also on a completely incorrect tangent.

Again, you're completing the roof to the house with no foundation. You're replacing brand new windshield wipers on a busted windshield.

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Lana — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 03:25:50 -0000

Just want to point out that it is very possible to be racist towards your own race. They're loads of self hating people out there in every race.

Asians/Asian Americans do have value and leverage...they just don't exercise it.

21st century people. If you don't show that you're worthy of respect, no one will.

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Lois Lane — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 01:00:49 -0000

This is so embarrassing/humiliating that it was written by an Asian.

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Robert — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:21:07 -0000

Maybe I'm just the odd man out and desensitized by working in the financial industry but I think this is a perfect example of people needing to grow a thicker skin. While it might be racist and offensive, no one listens to a scrub with no value.

Here's the simple formula to being acknowledged:

When you have no value, you have no leverage. When you have no leverage, you become someone else's bitch.

Asian Americans have no value which is why no one gives a crap. Pardon my French. Yes, I'm a 20-something Asian male, not a white guy in disguise.

It might be sheer coinincidence but when the conversation switches to women over here, all the white guys here refer to Asian women as "pandas." Alas, the things that Asian women don't know when the doors are closed.

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Guest — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:20:46 -0000

come on bertie. i forgot the smiley face to indicate it was a joke. :) hyperbolic hitler references always make threads more fun.

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Bertie — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:10:41 -0000

Google "Godwin's Law"

Proven time and time again! :)

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Guest — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:30:00 -0000

@Akrypti:

Mein Kampf was pretty frickin cost-effective too.

Let's hear it for cheap racist acquisition marketing! Huzzah!

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Akrypti — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 02:20:11 -0000

"'It was judged to be the best by the real pros,' says Gupta. 'Our ad was one of the few to feature a call-to-action, driving more than 25,000 people to the Salesgenie.com website. If it positively impacts business like it did last year, we'd be thrilled to be the worst again.'"

SalesGenie made $3 for every $1 it spent on the SuperBowl ad?!
This guy's a friggin' genius, in a way......

Link: http://news.moneycentral.ms...

Result of Gupta's "cheesy" and "racist" ads:
"more than 25,000 new registrations and creating buzz that lingered for nine months. He said Salesgenie made $3 for every dollar it spent on the ad"

Link: http://www.stltoday.com/stl...

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 01:40:10 -0000

Sorry;

I didn't get around to teeing off on the network. FOXX aka the station of the KKK.

The ad agency should have advised the client in the branding and identity campaign but in this case abdicated their responsibility to Vin Gupta.

Hope his sales crash and the genie gets kept in the bottle.

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Lana — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 23:16:34 -0000

I typed this before, (my post got lost or something) and I'll type it again:

You have a voice, use it. If Asians/Asian Americans would SPEAK UP (I mean REALLY speak up) then people, regardless if they're 'one of your own' or not would think (and probably not) do stupid crap like this.

If you don't like, don't just complain amongst yourselves. Do something. Speak.Up.About.It! Make your voice heard in this society. Write letters to companies, boycott companies, etc.

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Sharky the kid — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 22:13:04 -0000

These ads we're so dumb that this was the time during the telecast that I got up and either refreshed my drink, got food, or went to the loo. What a waste of time. If you are going to spend your marketing $$ on animation, at least make it memorable and good. It was just crap.

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Guest — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:11:27 -0000

so glad to see you guys writing about this. i've met vin before in a business meeting at a company i used to work for. not surprisingly, he's as much an idiot as you might think. thankfully we did no business with him. my naive hope though is that any potential salesperson or business owner who might've seen the ad will be so turned off not only by the content, but the quality of the content (who the hell uses helvetica italics for their logo), will associate such poor workmanship as a reflection of the quality of their databse (which, btw, all comes from them scanning in phone books and other public, but not very qualified, sources). additionally, anyone who uses their services will discover quickly how terrible the leads truly are, and will realize this is one genie that should be shoved back in the bottle.

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

jozjozjoz — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:05:27 -0000

I am aware of what role and ad agency plays, but I was simply pointing out that it wasn't some white hipsters who dreamed up the concept. Ultimately, the man responsible: the one who came up with the idea, who wrote the copy, who paid for the ad is Vin Gupta.

While the ad agency's part in all this should not be absolved, it could be argued that they were simply following directions of their client. A weak argument, but an argument nonetheless.

Following your train of thought of blaming the ad agency, why not blame the network for allowing this to air?

It's easy to blame all kinds of people, but the fact remains that the owner of the company purposefully used these stereotypes to garner attention to his company.

And unfortunately, he's succeeding.

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:52:44 -0000

Efren;

I control the ad and marketing budget for my company. No way in h!!! will I use Sales Genie.

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Amyable — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:24:02 -0000

I agree with NativeSon. It was offensive and we, Asian Americans, are not whining but in fact, voicing our opinions when they need to be voiced. This certainly is one of those situations. When the 1st ad appeared, I just sat through it thinking how offensive and stupid it was but didn't say anything. When the panda ad came on, I was thoroughly disgusted and said to the small gathering at my house, "What the hell was that, wasn't that offensive?" Everyone (multi-ethnic but mostly caucasian) agreed and said that it was pointless and offensive.

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:21:00 -0000

jozjozjoz;

The ad agency as in most "creative" ad settings would take Gupta's story line and then flesh it out with concept boards, sketches for presentation to the client and would have overseen the animation.

The ad agency would have hired the voice over actors responsible for the Chop Suey "ah so" dialogue.

Yes, Gupta is a Uncle Tom and as insensitive as those people at the ad agency.

But the Ad agency is equally as guilty and should have known how offensively and patently racist their "creative output" would be viewed by typical viewers.

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Efren — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:18:56 -0000

Well, the ads have succeeded. We're talking about it, people are going to use their services, and it's memorable because it strikes nerves that these companies know are still raw.

Maybe it's time for us to really reconsider what our options are that will hurt these companies the most--the pocketbook--besides doing useless boycotts (which provide more publicity and increased sales which is completely counter to what I assume we want) and ineffective switching around of the old guard while keeping the same corporate culture intact (like the Details debacle). Maybe getting the stockholders, etc. to see that this won't be tolerated?

Just some thoughts...

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

jozjozjoz — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:13:39 -0000

As noted above, the creator of the ads was not "a bunch of thirty something white guys," but rather an Indian-American businessman who was deliberately trying to get attention by doing a bad ad.

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:44:07 -0000

The ad agency Creative:Mint is located in San Francisco.
Daniel Grace
855 Sansome, Third Floor
San Francisco
415-362-9991
daniel.grace@creativemint.com

Probably staffed by a bunch of thirty something white guys trying to look “hip” with 2 day old stubble, narrow hipster glasses and funky striped shirts.

They must have been spending too much time in Chinatown looking at the “exotic cutesy” Asian women and the heathen VC Asian men during their “cultural trips” to the Chinese greasy spoon restaurants on Kearny Street.

Typical TV and print Ads:

White guys, one token black and one token Asian women for eye candy and exoticization.

White guy with Asian women looking like she “feels so lucky” to be with her "White Knight"

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

NativeSon — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:35:22 -0000

The pandas with "Chinese" accents were absolutely insulting and racist.

Too sensitive? How would you react to an ad with a gorilla speaking with an African-American "ghetto" accent?

How about a talking bean with a Hispanic accent.

Not funny. I'm Chinese. I've been around Chinese-Americans my entire life.

I've traveled to China many times.

I've never heard anyone that sounded like the stupid pandas in the commercial.

Re: “Racist” Super Bowl Ads written by Asian

Jesse! — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:29:34 -0000

I think most issues have already been brought up so I don't have much to add, but I will make a point on "voice":

Voice, ok we know it's an Asian American who did it! But that was not apparent in the ads, so the voice argument and bad comedian thing doesn't really flush since the majority of Americans who saw the ads are more like "hah, Asians are foreign and lame" or "WTF was that ad about?" So if all sorta falls flat and pointless.