m********r
发帖数: 2895 | 1 Beijing (CNN) -- The Super Bowl usually comes and goes without much notice
in China.
However, this year, America's famous sporting event took a different turn
when a television advertisement featuring Tibetans and a Chicago-area
Himalayan restaurant triggered angry comments from internet users in China.
The ad by Groupon -- a U.S.-based company that helps online group-buyers get
discounts -- was to generate support for The Tibet Fund, an organization
that aims to preserve Tibetan culture.
During the ad, actor Timothy Hutton appears to be served a meal at Himalayan
Restaurant in Chicago. He delivers the line "The Tibetan people are in
trouble. Their culture is in jeopardy."
Then in a seemingly sarcastic tone, Hutton adds, "But they still whip up an
amazing fish curry!"
Hutton then talks about a 50% discount he and other Groupon users got at a
Himalayan restaurant in Chicago.
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RELATED TOPICS
* Super Bowl
* Groupon Inc.
* Tibet
* China
The joke fell flat with Chinese internet users, at a time when the venture
capital-backed Groupon is aggressively expanding its services and staffing
in mainland China.
Tibet has long been a source of consistent domestic and international
tension for China, which established control over the region in 1951. The
Dalai Lama went into exile in 1959 following an uprising against communist
leadership.
Tensions related to religious freedom, human rights, development and
political sovereignty have plagued the region periodically ever since.
"Just saw the ad, are they oblivious?" asked user Mofei on Sina.com's
microblogging service Weibo.
"Groupon is doomed to failure now in China," wrote user Yageboo on Sina's
Weibo. "Groupon's lax approach to the Chinese market is not going to work!"
Sina.com user cnbuff410 asked, "Groupon ... you play a 'free Tibet'
advertisement during the Super Bowl ... do you actually want to enter the
Chinese market?"
Vivek Kunwar, a co-owner of Himalayan Restaurant in the Chicago area, saw
the advertisement during a Super Bowl commercial break.
"When we saw it, it was an 'uh-oh' moment, even for me," Kunwar said in a
phone interview.
"There was nothing that we could do .. we were not even involved in the
shoot."
However, not everyone was affected.
One online user posted, "Groupon is an American company with a conscience."
The restaurant first opened in 2003, and has enjoyed a strong community
customer base.
"When we were shown the script, it sounded pretty good. However, the way the
ad was made was not in good taste," Kunwar said.
"Our name was used but the way the ad was presented really wasn't done very
well. It could offend people definitely."
Phone calls and e-mails to Groupon headquarters and its Beijing office went
unanswered on Sunday evening. But the company posted a message on its
official Twitter account, saying "Like standing too close to a rainbow,
viewers' hearts are warmed" by the Super Bowl ad.
Kunwar said though the ad had a strong message, it's presentation was wrong.
"It came out the opposite of what they were hoping for," the co-owner said.
Kunwar said the advertisement was not filmed in their restaurant but on a
set.
"From our part, we hope people realize it was not us," Kunwar said.
"We participated because we liked the cause. (Groupon) should've considered
the sensitivity of the matter," Kunwar said Groupon has not reached out to
the Himalayan Restaurant since the commercial aired.
"Nobody has called me but I definitely do want to talk to their people and
ask them what they were thinking," he told CNN.
"It makes Groupon look bad, it makes us look bad and it was not the way it
should've been done."
Kunwar said he expects the three-restaurant chain will receive complaints,
and he is concerned about future business.
Tibetans and Chinese in their community may "be a little unhappy with it,"
he said.
Beijing-based consumer expert Ray Ally said shock value is a part of
marketing.
"Sometimes brands try to create impact by being a big risque or a bit
confrontational," Ally said. "Brands use this kind of shock to generate
awareness for their brand ... they think that maybe it would get people
talking about Groupon in a positive way."
Ally said some topics are best left untouched.
"They need to steer clear of politics, race and religion because it can
backfire," Ally told CNN. "And that's what happened here. This will actually
damage their brand in the US and more importantly it will damage their
brand in China."
Groupon has said China is a priority for the company.
"China is such an important market ... you'll likely see us there," Groupon
president Rob Solomon recently told state-run China Daily. | f**k
发帖数: 15238 | 2 藏族人不吃鱼吧
get
Himalayan
【在 m********r 的大作中提到】
: Beijing (CNN) -- The Super Bowl usually comes and goes without much notice
: in China.
: However, this year, America's famous sporting event took a different turn
: when a television advertisement featuring Tibetans and a Chicago-area
: Himalayan restaurant triggered angry comments from internet users in China.
: The ad by Groupon -- a U.S.-based company that helps online group-buyers get
: discounts -- was to generate support for The Tibet Fund, an organization
: that aims to preserve Tibetan culture.
: During the ad, actor Timothy Hutton appears to be served a meal at Himalayan
: Restaurant in Chicago. He delivers the line "The Tibetan people are in
| m********r
发帖数: 2895 | 3 那家餐馆的老板也很不满意，不知道为什么
难道有很多中国人去他那里吃饭？
【在 f**k 的大作中提到】
: 藏族人不吃鱼吧
:
: get
: Himalayan
| m*****5
发帖数: 23482 | 4 groupon这种低门槛的行业，还打算去中国发展？ | n******7
发帖数: 5678 | 5 老美吃印度餐的不多。
【在 m********r 的大作中提到】
: 那家餐馆的老板也很不满意，不知道为什么
: 难道有很多中国人去他那里吃饭？
| h****d
发帖数: 1420 | 6 2啊
踩大多数中国人的红线.
就这样的,还想到中国做生意? | a********l
发帖数: 39524 | 7 高潮在这里
One online user posted, "Groupon is an American company with a conscience." | i**b
发帖数: 918 | 8 groupon has another commercial comparing waxing ur twat to the deforestation
of amazon... which to me is kinda insulting to both the twat and the
environmental issues faced by the brazilians.
get
Himalayan
【在 m********r 的大作中提到】
: Beijing (CNN) -- The Super Bowl usually comes and goes without much notice
: in China.
: However, this year, America's famous sporting event took a different turn
: when a television advertisement featuring Tibetans and a Chicago-area
: Himalayan restaurant triggered angry comments from internet users in China.
: The ad by Groupon -- a U.S.-based company that helps online group-buyers get
: discounts -- was to generate support for The Tibet Fund, an organization
: that aims to preserve Tibetan culture.
: During the ad, actor Timothy Hutton appears to be served a meal at Himalayan
: Restaurant in Chicago. He delivers the line "The Tibetan people are in
| m**********n
发帖数: 27535 | 9 groupon 这帮人是脑子被驴踢了还是故意的？ | y***l
发帖数: 6963 | 10 他们觉得引起争议就达到宣传目的了
不过这个争议触及中国人底线了，以后他们在中国日子不会太好过
【在 m**********n 的大作中提到】
: groupon 这帮人是脑子被驴踢了还是故意的？
|
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