Our friends at mediabistro.com sister site Ads of the World posted the above commercial for Romanian car company Dacia, a subsidiary of the more familiar French manufacturer, Renault. Well, we just found this so offensive that we had to share it with all of you, because if there’s one thing that even the most casual television viewer loves, it’s banned advertising.
So, what’s the point in using dick jokes and ethnic stereotypes to offend the elderly, car salesmen, and the entire country of Romania? Does Netherlands-based production company Artcore think that by making people cry and feel terrible, they’ll sell more units of the Dacia Duster out of misery? Or, is this just a big publicity stunt to get people to notice their company a la Kanye West and his “banned” album cover art (but, you know, the European imported SUV version of that)?
Well, if you ask us, it’s probably the latter, as over 130,000 views on YouTube since the video was posted on Monday don’t lie. Odds are Dacia’s brand awareness will soar in the next week as the video “goes viral.” But, is Dacia really getting attention for the right reasons, and, more importantly from an advertiser’s perspective, will this controversy translate into positive sales or just irreparably damage the company’s reputation for the foreseeable future?
Credits after the jump.
Production company: Artcore, The Netherlands
Director: Berend Boorsma
Producer: Stefany Rietkerk
Production Manager: Christine Anderton
1st AD: Roel Boorsma
D.O.P.: Philip van Volsum
1st ASS Camera: Alex Hollay
Gaffer: Erno Das
Grip: Frans Leiwakabessy
Sound Recordist: Peter Westbroek
Art Director: Nedda Nagel
Make-up: Eugenie Abrahams
Styling: Nicole de Werk
Location Management: Mike Kuijper
Script Continuity: Maaike Boorsma
VTR: Rio Kierkels
Catering: Quiscene
Edit: Vava Tungsten
Sound: Studio de Keuken