A billboard promoting a budget brand of vodka was taken down Tuesday amid a firestorm of criticism that its advertising slogan was anti-Semitic.
“Christmas quality,” the billboard read, “Hanukkah pricing.”
The advertisement, which was posted on a two-sided billboard overlooking the West Side Highway near 130th Street late Monday to promote Wodka vodka, also featured a long-haired dog wearing a yarmulke and a smaller dog wearing a Santa hat.
Within hours, the ad was criticized on the Internet and by officials.
In a statement, Ron Meier, the New York regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, called the advertisement “crude and offensive.” He said it reinforced the anti-Semitic stereotype “that Jews are cheap.”
“To use the Jewish holiday in dealing with issues of money is clearly insensitive and inappropriate,” he said.
Wodka is known for advertising that is intended to draw attention by generating controversy. A previous ad carried the text “Hamptons quality. Newark pricing.”
The tactic, known as shock advertising, is common among brands that are small or do not spend much on marketing.
Brian Gordon, who runs MMG, the company that designed the campaign, denied that it was intended to be shock advertising.
“We thought people would perceive it as ‘ha ha quirky,’ ” said Mr. Gordon, who was quick to point out that he is Jewish. “But people perceived it as offensive, and because of that, we pulled it.”
By Tuesday afternoon, Wodka had posted an apology on Twitter, and the poster lay in a crumpled heap near the road.
Why is this anti- semitic??
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with having chanuka sales?? Are all electronic stores in bp that have chnuka sales anti semits??
Did you ever hear anyone complaining that black Friday is antisemitizem??
what happened to freedom of speech , if you don't like it don't buy it , i think it was funny , everyone so serious, life to short.
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