Citroen pulls Mao ad
If the BBC is to be believed, French car maker Citroen has been forced to withdraw a car ad after pressure from Chinese chatroom users.
The ad, which shows a new Citroen passing before a portrait of the late tyrant and reads “It’s true we are leaders, but at Citroen the revolution never stops”, provoked outrage on the internet.
“This is no small thing
It has an influence on the whole country. It damages the whole Chinese people.”
“…our traditions and customs must nonetheless be respected.”
As a result, Citroen apologised and ordered the ad to be pulled immediately.
We repeat our good feelings towards the Chinese people, and confirm that we respect the representatives and symbols of the country
Oh sure, that’s only fair. You gotta respect those traditions of mass murder, tyranny and dictatorship. Since when was veneration of an evil despot a “custom and tradition”? I bet a big chunk of the Chinese population think differently, eh?
[…] to the BBC (via), Citroen has withdrawn an ad featuring a doctored portrait of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, […]