Car dealership draws criticism for ad declaring jihad

Jackfruit · Sep 24, 2006

What a terrible ad campaign!

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52123

Radio stations reject 'tongue-in-cheek' ads,
call Islamic-themed campaign 'insensitive'
Posted: September 23, 2006
5:05 p.m. Eastern
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

An Ohio auto dealership, declaring that "terrorists are fair game," is promising to launch "a jihad in the automarket" with an Islamic-themed promotional campaign, despite several radio stations' rejection of its ad for being "insensitive."

Keith Dennis of Dennis Mitsubishi in Columbus, who appears in the ad, promises prospective customers that the salesforce "will be wearing burqas all weekend long." One of the featured vehicles "can comfortably seat up to 12 jihadists in the back," he says.

"Our prices are lower than the evildoers' every day. Just ask the pope!" the ad continues. "Friday is fatwa Friday, with free rubber swords for the kiddies."

Thus far, at least eight stations in the Columbus market have said they won't air the ad.

"We won't play that," Jeff Wilson, general manager of Radio One stations WCKX, WJYD and WXMG told the Columbus Dispatch. "With no disrespect to their creativity or their desire to build business, everything we're about is promoting the values of diversity. To air things of that sort would go against our mission statement."

Dennis Mitsubishi spokesman Aaron Masterson says the company, which writes and produces its own ads, was not prepared for the reaction from some stations and admits that the "aggressive" campaign is breaking new ground.

"We talk about the pope, fatwa, terrorists. You hear one of these words, and [the radio executives'] minds froze on it," he said. "According to the people who have heard it, it is the most controversial commercial they've heard in the last 15 years."

Asma Mobin-Uddin, president of the Columbus chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told the Dispatch that the ad's tone and imagery were "mocking and disrespectful to many different areas. One is Islamic faith and Islamic culture."

"Using that as a promotional pitch when so many are dying from the criminal activity of suicide bombers, that's not funny," she said. "I don't think it's appropriate when it causes real pain. It exploits or promotes misunderstanding in terms already misunderstood or misused. That type of ad does nothing but promote discord in a very difficult time. The timing is just amazing. Maybe that's part of the shock value."

Still, Masterson's neither discouraged nor dissuaded and promised that the commercials would soon air with few changes.

"It starts next Friday morning," Masterson said. "As far as I can see, the top 10 stations – minimum – in the market. We made it very clear we wanted market saturation to get the point across.

"This is one where we feel we're taking a bull's-eye on terrorists. After all the nonsense that the terrorists put the public through, they're fair game."
Click to expand...

tigermission1 · Sep 24, 2006

Sort of funny, actually, it's obviously meant to draw attention, but might backfire. They must be desperate for sales...

Dairy Ashford · Sep 24, 2006

Jackfruit said:

What a terrible ad campaign!

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52123
Click to expand...

Right after Sept 11, KPRC 950 was repeatedly playing a racist parody of "Proud to be an American" mimicking people who lived in Afghanistan. Funny thing is, it was catchy as hell.

TracyMcCrazyeye · Sep 24, 2006

lol this MUST be something out of snl

KingCheetah · Sep 24, 2006

!!! WE'RE DECLARING A JIHAD ON HIGH PRICES !!!

JeopardE · Sep 24, 2006

That is hilarious.

rodrick_98 · Sep 26, 2006

as the clutchfans sayings go:

SIGH, another win for the jihadists

or

Jihadists: 874,632 Americans: 1

the campaign is insensitive, and borderline ignorant but who cares. they're now getting more press, and attention (for free) than if they had just advertised it. besides that fact, what's the breakdown of muslims buying cars from that dealership? i doubt his business would suffer if he loses those clients.

another thing thats wrong with america today is all of these groups such as the American-Islamic Relations who are trying to do good by improving relations. a good goal, but ultimately fails. i don't want to sound like i'm picking on AIR, this is actually the first time i've ever heard of them, but
you get groups much like lulac they just seperate themselves from the greater collective of americans as a whole. the whole point of this country is a melting pot to mix ideas, then you get these groups that complain and want to be seperated from the general population.

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Car dealership draws criticism for ad declaring jihad

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