Ad Blog Arabia

12 Comments Add your own

• 1. BAsem  |  September 12th, 2006 at 1:31 pm

  No Zeid, I think it has to do with the fact that the Prius is a hybrid car (part-time electric/petrol) which means it consumes less of the stuff “Arabs” are notorious for producing.

  But it definitely leads one to think in tghe line of: for “some” (read: depicted in the ad) will feel unfortunate to own one, the fact that the man is dressed in traditional Arab custom seems to be sitting in a Prius enforces this interpretation, they should’ve been more vigilant.

  At any measure, if the VW Polo ad didn’t shake a bit, then this would pass unheard of…

• 2. Zeid Nasser (Admin)  |  September 12th, 2006 at 2:20 pm

  You’re probably right!

  Well thought out Basem.

• 3. Hussein  |  September 12th, 2006 at 3:59 pm

  my client service director mr. olaf brinkmann, i asked him to have his comment on the ad, so he said:

  ” The Toyota Prius has a special engine - when in town or slow driving, it
  runs on battery; when fast it uses the petrol part of the engine.

  It is supposed to show how oil/petrol will be used so little that oil
  producing countries will not make as much money as before.

  Hope that helps….”

  Olaf

• 4. Zeid Nasser (Admin)  |  September 12th, 2006 at 5:50 pm

  Yes Olaf…. you got it right too.

  Why couldn’t I see it?

  It makes you wonder how many readers would understand such an ad in the newspaper!

• 5. yoriah  |  September 12th, 2006 at 7:11 pm

  I think the main question is about the very adv target.

  Common people needs and, in the end, uses stereotypes to identify other cultures. To the western world audience, a mid-aged man dressing traditional arab clothes and sitting in the back of a car running through the desert could mean just one thing: Oil Tycoon. It’s just a stereotype, but that’s how it goes. And everyone knows that the Prius is an hybrid car: so the argument is as follows. More Prius, less petrol selling, unhappiness for some arabian oil tycoon.

  By the way, I don’t think the man is sitting in a Prius. It seems to me quite clear he’s sitting in some big and expensive car with chauffeur like a mercedes or a bmv o ra cadillac. Anyway not a Prius.

  So Zeid is not your fault. And believe me: if the man was to be italian (like me) he would have been eating spaghetti while playing mandolino. ; )

  Stereotips are unpleasent, but unfortunately they works.

• 6. ivan  |  September 12th, 2006 at 10:16 pm

  One thing is for sure, if Zeid misunderstood the ad, many other will do too. Now, the question remains, if it is indeed misunderstood, is it insulting to arabs?

• 7. NaifWaif  |  September 13th, 2006 at 4:01 am

  I know nothing about Poland, but I think the average American knows the Prius is a hybrid, and an Arabic man in traditional clothing is practically shorthand for “oil tycoon”. Americans would understand this ad instantly.

  Being neither Arabic myself, nor infected by anti-Arab sentiment, I thought the ad was funny. I saw it as thumbing the nose at Big Business. And I do not think it was intended to offend. However, given the degree of anti-Arab sentiment current in so many countries, (again, I can’t speak for Poland), it could easily be interpreted as a malicious jab at the Arab world. The advertiser should have been alert to the subtleties of the message he was sending.

• 8. Alex  |  September 13th, 2006 at 3:10 pm

  i dont think it was meant to offend. the big idea is that the prius consumes less petrol and hence makes anyone who produces petrol sad which happened to be an arab here.

  maybe they should have used more discretion considering the times

  since the idea needs to register before the page is flicked over, the use of stereotypes however lamentable may become necessary in advertising.

  and i think it is only the advertising community that will judge and analyze the pros and cons of each ad passionately and try to derive depth and meaning where none maybe originally intended.

• 9. dwin  |  September 13th, 2006 at 4:14 pm

  being from a country neighbouring with Poland, I can assure all of you guys there’s no anti-arab sentiment behind this ad.

  as it’s been stated here before, arab sheiks are the ones who are considered sovereign masters of the worlds oil reserves and that’s why the guy in the ad isn’t pleased with the Prius.

  and since the Prius is a car designed for the affluent consumer, the target audience in whole Europe understand the ad.

  hence, please, stop commenting like “if I don’t get it, is it good?”. it is. well, at least in the way that people who were targeted by it (europeans) understand the message. this is not saying that it’s a great ad (the image of an arab being unhappy about a car with low gas consuption was used in western advertising more than once before).

  there’s good reasons why Toyota won’t use the ad in Arab countries. as they’ve never intented to.

• 10. AdGeek  |  September 14th, 2006 at 2:30 pm

  First of all: We are NOT trying to insult anyone with this ad. We are just using stereotypes of people who make money from Oil Sales (Arabs, Russians & Texans) This is the first in a series of three ment for the European market where hybrid cars are important and where consumers are aware of these stereotypes. I’m aware that a Sheikh does not necessarily have anything to do with oil, because being a Sheikh is more about being a family leader. I hope people could be more humoristic about it, and see it with a twink in their eye. Just as lots of other ads, don’t over-analyze, enjoy!

• 11. Humeid  |  September 15th, 2006 at 3:17 am

  it’s simply humourous, not offensive.

• 12. sara  |  September 22nd, 2006 at 7:38 am

  Its a cliche….oil rich arabs bla bla bla…they’re playin on a tired idea but offensive ..umm ….NO! i dont think so!

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