SMART-ass billboards find their way to the bottom of a big ditch
Remember those asinine SMART billboards that read, "German engineering. Swiss styling. American Nothing." in South Africa? Finally DaimlerChrysler saw them for the PR nightmare that they were and banished them to the bottom of a deep garbage pit.
Says Chrysler communications chief Jason Vines, "the local agency explained that it meant no harm and that 'American nothing" related to the smallness of the car." Riiigggghhhhhtt. Is that the best they could came up with after hours of nervous laughter and firing the intern? We can at least give Vines and his team credit for having their fellow Americans' backs -- Vines also explained that his team worked with the PR chief responsible over on the other side of the pond, and the billboards were as good as gone.
[Source: DaimlerChrysler]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Texas Mike 12:05PM (6/22/2006)
God forbid anyone state an honest opinion. The fact is the rest of the world really does think we're selfish bastards who drive enormous, wasteful vehicles with total disdain for the rest of the planet.
I am an American. Try putting me in a ditch.
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Andy 12:12PM (6/22/2006)
thats to bad, I loved them.
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Lithous 12:19PM (6/22/2006)
"Remember those asinine SMART billboards that read, "German engineering. Swedish styling. American Nothing." in South Africa?"
How did I get redirected off of autoblog onto a blog where there is a slight showing of non-anti-Americanism? I mean, when this sign was posted on autoblog it was never called "asinine". What site is this?
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bgdc 12:25PM (6/22/2006)
How are they a pr nightmare? They're advertising to non-americans who very likely will chuckle, if not embrace, the campaign for what it's saying.
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PJ 12:32PM (6/22/2006)
I think we need to lighten up...
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Cameron 12:36PM (6/22/2006)
I found them humorous.
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Lucas 12:48PM (6/22/2006)
I thought it was kind of clever myself. How often do we make fun of Europeans(especially the French)? I don't expect them to get all offended about it.
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Ben 12:57PM (6/22/2006)
fact of the matter is, not even American buy American cars anymore .. so in some ways the billboard's just telling the truth.
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andy 1:05PM (6/22/2006)
Yes we need to lighten up AND look in a mirror. Its not so pretty looking back at us.
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brother justin 1:19PM (6/22/2006)
Sounds like a bunch of White South Africans mad at the US for supporting the boycott against them to allow Blacks the same rights as them.
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Jeff 1:19PM (6/22/2006)
This is one of those things where it really shouldn't matter and is such a trivial thing but when you peel back the layers - there are many points that could be made and isn't it time we stopped putting conflict into every-day life.
1) As an adertiser - why perpetuate negative attitudes about any nation or group of people? Would it be okay if it were about a race of people versus a nationality...definitely not. It's so important today that we all start getting along as nations, as people. We start today - we still have 25 years to affect a generation and hopefully curb such ethnocentric ways of thinking - no matter what they are.
2) American cars - wat does that mean? I owned a Toyota 4runner built in Kentucky, a Mitsubishi Eclipse with 95% american-made parts assembled in Chicago and if you ever go to Spartanburg, a few reputable German-badged cars come from there as well...but I do drive a German-made car now and leave the Chevy in the garage.
But again - even trying to find/create deeper meanings in the situation around corporate responsibility - it's kinda funny and definitely trivial on the surface.
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Glenn 1:24PM (6/22/2006)
There is a difference between sweden and switzerland, just so you know. As a swede i feel a little offended everytime someone makes that misstake.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden
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Shawn 1:30PM (6/22/2006)
This is one of those situations like making jokes about white people or men. If you reverse the joke to African Americans or women, suddenly it is insulting and not PC anymore. Insert any other country in there and you'll have a political disaster.
Of course it was meant to be an insult not just on US cars but the nation. However, I think most Americans just laugh it off now. We're so used to the insults that few of us take them seriously anymore.
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TSW 1:44PM (6/22/2006)
I think it was taken down because coverage of it got to the ears of people here in the States that ARE easily offended.
Hey, I drive a Bimmer. I'd drive a domestic, but the quality and track record for domestic cars is awful.
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P to the C 2:17PM (6/22/2006)
I say good riddance to a poorly conceived idea. Why should America be ridiculed because her citizens don't want to drive clown cars? Considering the long term dependability studies that consistently place European cars at the very bottom of the list, maybe they'd sell a few more if they actually included some American reliability along with the 'Swedish style' (whatever that is) and 'German engineering'.
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quandmeme 3:25PM (6/22/2006)
Now aren't we missing the point--isn't this campaign only relevant if DCX still has smart on the table for the US? I'm not saying that the PR people are tipping their hand that it WILL come here, just that it is an indication that they are concious of avoiding having to dig out from a statement that the car is un-American.
#3, Some people think asinine means "smart ass," others don't ("Utterly stupid or silly"), let's not overreact!
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dave 3:28PM (6/22/2006)
'Swedish style' (whatever that is)
Swedish style is modern, sometimes quirky, typically with clean lines and high in ergonomic value. If you're familiar with IKEA, that's probably the best-known example of mass Swedish style. But it's not all flat-packed particle board--Swedish design is often high design and the products are high-quality, and it is respected worldwide. So, to see it in a car should be welcome.
As for reliabilty, the Euros and Americans are pretty similar on long-term riliability, but the Germans have better resale value--which would you prefer?
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Paul 5:39PM (6/22/2006)
and why would anyone buy an american made product???
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Mark 5:53PM (6/22/2006)
At #15:P Clown cars? Funny, everytime I see an oversized American SUV or pickup truck, all shiny and driven by a soccer mom on her cell phone or some dude who's never even dreamed of being out of the city, those seem like clown cars to me ;)
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Riker 7:10PM (6/22/2006)
One more American who was not in the least bit offended, and in fact rather entertained by those billboards.
It is ironic that DaimlerChrysler probably had to spend their money dumping the signage in fear of backlash borne of "American hypersensitivity".
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