Austrailia + KFC = Racism? Why the Ad Failed
Are Australians racist? I have no idea. There are camps that say yes. But that’s not why the only reason the ad failed.
The ad failed because it was seen in a market other than which it was designated for. Australians might have seen it, realized that this guy (who happened to be white) was a fan of cricket team X (because of the shirt/jersey he had on) and but was stuck in the cricket team Y side of the stadium (which happened to be West Indies and therefore all Black…. logical conclusion? You tell me…)
If the ad had been race neutral (all white or all black) this issue wouldn’t have come up. It would have been “Oh, ha ha, that was a cute ad” or whatever.
If the ad had been designated for an American market, it might have featured, let’s say a Dallas Cowboys fan all decked out in his blue and silver seated in a Washington Redskins side (yes, I had to ask someone for sports team rivals, don’t judge me), you would have chuckled. Or you would have been like “oh that was a stupid ad”… but you wouldn’t have said “oh that’s racist” (aside from the fact that “Redskins” is a stab to Native Americans, but that’s not the topic here either)
The fact of the matter is, the treatment of African descendants is ALWAYS going to be a topic of sensitivity around the world. That sensitivity is concentrated in the Western Hemisphere, the US mainly, let’s be sure. But it’s always going to be there.
For Austrailians to say to American “Hey, lighten up! We’re not racist like you are” is laughable to me. We see the image and it is like a slap in the face and dredges up those old but persistent stereotypes that we hate. Maybe, in the future, design your ad for your market, but be sensitive of the fact that due to the pervasiveness of the internet, other people will see it too (YouTube, anyone?). And these people may get angry… or may get sad… or may decide to sue… or may boycott your product or services or decide to boycott your parent company which has a ton more restaurants in the United States than in Austrailia, I’m wiling to wager….
Just a thought.
What do you think about this ad? Racist? Not racist? Or why the hell are we even talking about this? Comments welcome and adored (I’ll take care of them just like a new born puppy…)
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Great analysis!
With whatever “extra” underlying tones this commercial attempts to exploit(seeing that the indigenous community of Australia has been complaining for quite sometime, as pointed out in your post), it is never wise for western(white) people to utilize the stereotypes, jokes, racial ANYTHING if they expect to avoid controversy.
I am, however, aware that these corporations aren’t that centralized, and a KFC marketing team from the US probably knew nothing about this, or I am sure a warning cry would have been sounded IMMEDIATELY.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t dispel the reality of economic hegemony in Australia, and the growing tensions between the indigenous peoples of that land before britain opened up the gates of hell, and unleashed satan in the form of white murderers, but this isn’t a history lesson, right?…*smilez*
Quite frankly, get a life! The ad is not racist. Starting to wonder if the people who react to this type of stuff are the racists. It is, as already noted, about team supporters. As for Owlasylum, for heavens sake?! Your comments about indigenous Australians, Britain and “white economic supremacy” are irrelevant to the discussion. Racism has been defined as ‘the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races’
(wordnetweb.princeton.edu) From your comments can’t help but wonder if you don’t feel superior yourself.
Owl : I definitely agree that if KFC USA would have known, they would have at least tried to put a spin on it, but hey, guess they weren’t communicating that month that the ad was made. I wonder what would have happened if the brown people in the ad were Aboriginal, what the controversy would have been about, or if they would even have been an outcry?
Amalee : *smiles* I guess I wasn’t clear enough. I actually gave some surface level arguments as to why the ad itself may not have been racist. But maybe I explained myself incorrectly? But you can’t deny that regardless of whether it was intended to be racist (which I don’t believe outright that it was), it can be misinterpreted by other communities in the world who would find it a sensitive topic. One more thing, Amalee, you are correct. Maybe “racist” is the wrong word. “Stereotypical” would be better fitting. But, hey, “racist” gets peoples attention. And either way, negative stereotypes hurt.
Your comments are appreciated
Funny enough, my friend just had this up on his Facebook today. I was playing the advocate and pointed out that Australians do not have the same stereotypes as the US. He pointed out that it was a US company. Regardless, it got people to think.
I can see how the ad could be viewed as stereotypcial but do i believe it was malicious no. Insensitive yes! Had the crowd been Aborigines (sorry if i spelled it wrong) how much of an outcry would’ve come from this ad? Dont know but to answer the question I dont believe its outright racist but there are some serious negative overtones to the ad!!
Hmmm.. let’s calm black folks down with a free bucket of chicken..very stereotypically insensitve..not surprised
for goodness sake! firstly, the ad has no african americans in it – the crowd is West Indian and I don’t think they have the stereotype (created in America) that black people eat fried chicken! interesting that Racism seems to be so quickly touted by many Americans – maybe that is because as a society it is far more prevalent in America? I don’t know. Sure, Australians have prejudices just like every other nation on earth, but just because it has a white person and darker skinned people doesn’t mean it must have racist overtones!
Secondly, the ad is about the cricket, something Americans know nothing about. I watched a movie the other night on television called “White chicks”. An American movie about two black men that dress as white women – was that racist? good grief
Also, fwiw, the West Indies *was* the team touring us at the time.
Part of me wonders if KFC USA put out an ad with negative Australian stereotypes what the reaction would be?
Point blank, someone at KFC effed up, maybe they need to implement new micromanaging of their ad campaigns around the world. But KFC Australia pulled the ad today. They acknowledged that while they didn’t mean to offend, they *REALIZED* that they had offended. And I can roll with that.
Additionally, please don’t tell me what to be offended by or not offended by. If I’m offended by a frog crossing a road, that’s my right. You can try to understand why I’m offended, you can try to explain why you think I shouldn’t be offended, but do not attack me (hypothetical “me”) and say it’s my own fault for being offended.
Nathan, thank you for clarifying. Appreciated. Like I said, the ad had more relevance for folks in Australia than for anyone else.
And yes, White Chicks was *stereotypical* as hell
I think the point I’m trying to make here is that whilst people may have been offended because it touched on the stereotypes that might exist in the US- it doesn’t mean the advertisement was racist – and Tayo I understand you don’t see it as racist – just potentially stereotypical, however those stereotypes do not necessarily exist everywhere else. The US does not set the standard by which everyone else should abide does it? Eating fried chicken in Australia is not considered to be associated with any particular ethnic group lol.
It seems the focus is on the fried chicken? if so then I’m assuming that if the guy in the commercial had handed out McDonalds to the West Indians then it would have been ok? If the answer to that question is “yes”, then that highlights how ridiculous the uproar about this ad is. It means someone saw Fried Chicken and black people and assumed racist overtones!
Whilst I understand why some people may have been offended, and acknowledge that is their right, I take exception to those who then talk about how racist Australians are as a result of them assuming that there were racist intents in the advertisement!. How is anyone outside America supposed to know that in that country, a stereotype exists that black people eat fried chicken? The ad was made for Australia, aired in Australia, about a sporting event currently being played in Australia and it contained no African americans. Context please!!!
There are a billion things on the internet that can be accessed and that people can be offended by. I’m sure some American ads probably offend people of different backgrounds, or beliefs, or who have different likes and dislikes etc. it doesn’t mean that those ads were meant to offend anyone in other countries.
And, might I say the US has put out ads that depict Australians in a stereotypical way, this happens in the movies as well. Everyone does this, I’m sure Australians also have stereotypes about Americans ( I know I do lol) . Wow, lighten up everyone!
Geoff, maybe Australians should put up a bigger stink when US stereotypes you all, lol
Thanks for your comment!
Today I read a report that US critics are saying that the movie Avatar is racist (see below). Obviously the movie must have upset the blue people in the US!
“Meanwhile, the movie is attracting accusations of being racist by critics in the US by portraying a white man coming in to lead a community of primitive, non-white people.
“It rests on the stereotype that white people are rationalist and technocratic while colonial victims are spiritual and athletic,” New York Times columnist David Brooks wrote.
“It rests on the assumption that non-whites need the White Messiah to lead their crusades.”
But director James Cameron denied the film had an racist undertones, saying Avatar “asks us to open our eyes and truly see others, respecting them even though they are different, in the hope that we may find a way to prevent conflict and live more harmoniously on this world”.
“I hardly think that is a racist message,” he added.
Hi Tayo,
I believe your post clearly explained the way the advert may have been viewed by different audiences. Ill admit that if I had not read your explanation I would have been wondering what the advert was in aid of. Our backgrounds and experiences are the tinted glasses through which we view things!
Cheers!