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Salesgenie CEO apologizes, kills off pandas As a coda to one of the most reviled sets of Super Bowl ads, the CEO of Salesgenie.com has apologized for using stereotypical ethnic accents in the “Panda” and “Ramesh” spots. With the token comment that “we never thought anyone would be offended,” InfoUSA chief executive Vinod Gupta said he will stop running the panda ad. In defense of the spot, he told The New York Times: “The pandas are Chinese. They don’t speak German.” By that logic, shouldn’t they be speaking Chinese? As for “Ramesh,” Gupta says he loves when people make fun of his own Indian accent, so he’s going to keep the spot in rotation. (Though you have to wonder if that one would have slipped by unscathed if it weren’t for the “I have seven kids” line.) One uplifting tidbit for copywriters everywhere: Gupta says he wrote both ads himself. —Posted by David Griner

February 7, 2008 in Griner | Permalink

Comments

The CEO wrote those himself? Hallelujah! I've been wondering which agency thought up those ... and I use the term loosely ... "concepts."

There are people who do advertising for a living, folks. Don't be afraid to call them. They aren't all good, by any stretch, but they might help you avoid gigantic, expensive blunders.

Well, okay. Maybe they won't always help you avoid them. But at least you'll have someone else to blame.

Posted by: Cheryl Rice | Feb 7, 2008 12:40:18 PM

It's about time they apologized for the crap they ran. I'm Indian, and contrary to what Gupta said about loving people making fun of his accent, I was actually offended by the ad (for the first time in my life an ad has offended me).

Gupta obviously hasn't talked to any Indians lately, because he'd know the accent used for Ramesh was NOT, repeat, NOT, Indian. It was a "Hollywood" accent (inspired by Apu of the Simpsons).

Good job, Gupta! You've pushed the stereotype about Indians further with your supposed creativity. Unfortunately, if someone were to sue you, you'd get free publicity, so we just have to make do with posting comments.

Posted by: AJ Kotval | Feb 7, 2008 2:59:04 PM

What about the agency that animated this crap, Creative Mint? Shouldn't they have known better?

Posted by: | Feb 7, 2008 5:39:24 PM

People, try not to be so PC. I have an Indian friend, they talk funny. Jesus F. Christ, the same people that bitch when you only use white people in advertising also bitch when you use minorities. Part of being inclusive means you make fun of white people and indians and blacks, etc, without people bitching about it.

Posted by: Bobby | Feb 7, 2008 5:59:40 PM

I'm just surprised this slipped by so many people. Whether or not it is offensive to most or a lot of people, all you need is a few loud voices to have a situation on your hands.

Posted by: sonya | Feb 8, 2008 3:39:27 AM

Those commercials weren't more offensive than any episode of Family Guy or South Park. Yet, I'm glad they pulled them out because they're really crappy.

Posted by: Somebody | Feb 8, 2008 11:30:32 AM

What? Gupta thought it was O.K. to make fun of an Indian accent because he has one? Pretty self centered attitude. I guess that is the same logic that allows an African American to use the N word towards another Afro-American? Gupta, stop cheaping out and have a half dozen ad agencies compete to do an ad for you. They will almost certainly come up with a witty, catchy ad which is not offensive to anyone.

Sam Chandra
Chicagoland

Posted by: Sam Chandra | Jul 14, 2008 9:09:12 AM

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