Daimler AG apologized Thursday for using an image of Marxist revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara during a promotional presentation for Mercedes-Benz cars.
The image briefly appeared Tuesday during a presentation by Dieter Zetsche, head of Daimler's Mercedes unit, at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It reproduced a famous Alberto Korda photo of Guevara, the Argentine communist who spearheaded the revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power in Cuba. The photo became a symbol of communist revolutionary movements during the 1960s and '70s.
On the screen, the star on Che’s beret is replaced by the Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star logo.
Here is the official statement:
In his keynote speech at CES, Dr. Zetsche addressed the revolution in automobility enabled by new technologies, in particular those associated with connectivity. To illustrate this point, the company briefly used a photo of revolutionary Che Guevara (it was one of many images and videos in the presentation). Daimler was not condoning the life or actions of this historical figure or the political philosophy he espoused. We sincerely apologize to those who took offense.
I, for one, am not offended, but this is obviously more than a simple slip of the tongue. Someone spent hours on this presentation, and I’m sure it was reviewed before being presented. Daimler should have realized that some would be offended. At that point, they should have decided to pull the picture, or decided to just say “Screw ‘em if they can’t take a joke.” The apology should never have been offered.
No comments:
Post a Comment