Will They Ever Learn? Marketing Blunders Know No Borders
The luxury house’s China debacle has plenty of competition for the world’s worst advertising gaffe
Outrage is spreading in China over a video ad campaign for Italian luxury brand Dolce & Gabbana that shows a Chinese model struggling to eat spaghetti and pizza with chopsticks.
This is hardly the first instance of brand managers thinking it’s a great idea to play with cultural stereotypes, only to be met with accusations of insensitivity or plain racism. Sometimes it’s a case of local teams not knowing what might cause offense in another country. Other times, the ad just isn’t funny – anywhere.