Pig in a Cinquecento leads to diplomatic row

"Out, but with a W - has found the answer" (belg) 07/28/2016 at 19:15 • Filed to: None

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Or: Welcome to Absurdistan, Belgium - part 500.

Due to an increasing litter problem at highway rest stops, Sofico (the Walloon agency for Roads and Traffic) had commissioned the campaign above, to be placed on billboards along the highways. Translated and paraphrased, it means something like “Don’t turn rest stops in a swinery.” All in, something you’d notice and laugh (well, probably smirk) about if you drove past.

The Italians, and Fiat 500 fan clubs the world over, thought otherwise. Protest led to the Italian ambassador sending an official letter to Sofico and notifying the Walloon authorities. According to him, the advertising agency did not know the cultural and industrial history of Italy. “The Fiat 500 is not only an industrial symbol, it’s a core element of our collective identity. Placing a pig at the wheel en having it throw trash out the window, is offensive. Additionally, it gives the impression that Italians are bigger polluters than the other drivers in Wallonia.”

Sofico will remove the posters and has apologized. They did however stress that their goal was to increase cleanliness, not insult Italians. The Italian ambassador has accepted the apologies.

Update: It gets even better, Fiat Belgium have expressed their annoyance as well, claiming trash doesn’t fit in with their other 500 partnerships, like Gucci and Riva.

Chasaboo > Out, but with a W - has found the answer 07/28/2016 at 19:24

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Those crazy Walloons.

Flavien Vidal > Out, but with a W - has found the answer 07/28/2016 at 19:27

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lol, WTF?? How dumb are those people??

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Chasaboo 07/28/2016 at 19:28

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I’m having a hard time identifying the most absurd thing in this story, and I’m Belgian myself, i.e. exposed to facepalm-worthy stuff on a daily basis.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Flavien Vidal 07/28/2016 at 19:39

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This is one of the few times “I can’t even” seems appropriate to use.

Flavien Vidal > Out, but with a W - has found the answer 07/28/2016 at 19:56

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Can’t wait for pigs to protest against discrimination, because obviously, they don’t mind Pandas driving and even crashing them... So what’s with the anti-pig rhetoric?? Pink lives matter!

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Flavien Vidal 07/28/2016 at 19:58

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Won’t somebody please think of the Pandas?!

spanfucker retire bitch > Out, but with a W - has found the answer 07/29/2016 at 06:46

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It’s good to know us Americans and Europeans still have some striking similarities after all these years; like being real stupid fucks.

Berang > Out, but with a W - has found the answer 07/29/2016 at 06:49

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relevant

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Berang 07/29/2016 at 06:52

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Yes.

Svend > Out, but with a W - has found the answer 07/29/2016 at 06:54

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What the f**k! Seriously?

People are pathetic. So because it’s a Fiat 500 it’s offended the Italians and the Fiat community?

Well in that case as a member of the worlds countries that drive on the left hand side I’m offended the car is a LHD car and not RHD, I’m further offended that the car is a shade of blue as I’d prefer off-white or similar, etc, etc, etc...

It reminds me of the time Renault did an advert with the theme of 'booty shaking' to the tune of 'I see you baby, shaking that ass' and a load of Parkinsons sufferers complained as it mocked their disease and their shakes.

https://youtu.be/iNFTtdPQtic

Berang > Out, but with a W - has found the answer 07/29/2016 at 06:54

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Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Svend 07/29/2016 at 06:59

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You cannot be serious about those Parkinson complaints?

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > Out, but with a W - has found the answer 07/29/2016 at 07:01

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Normally I would blame the Walloons, though this situation is even more backwards than I expected.

Svend > Out, but with a W - has found the answer 07/29/2016 at 07:17

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No, OFCOM (a U.K. advertising complaints ombudsman) received 225 complaints about it mocking people who are afflicted with tremors, they also received 139 complaints about the word 'ass' being said over and over again and OFCOM said the advert couldn't be shown before the 'watershed' (9:30pm) because of the song while some even complained that the dancing objectified women (no mention as to if they were also thought the men dancing objectified men).

Svend > Out, but with a W - has found the answer 07/29/2016 at 07:22

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When I lived in Holland I saw so many strange Dutch, Belgian, German, Luxembourg(ish-ian-?) adverts.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Svend 07/29/2016 at 07:28

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Svend > Out, but with a W - has found the answer 07/29/2016 at 07:53

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Too many idiots with too much time on their hands who like to find things to be offended about. It's the day and age we live in. People think everything is directly directed towards them and so if they see something they don't like they take it that you are specifically attacking them audibly or visually.