Shanghai stations pulled the ad and other networks quickly followed suit. Created by Leo Burnett, the ad showed a man begging for a discount from a store clerk. It then shifted its focus to McDonald's, with the message that the food giant offered cheap meals all year-round.
Marina Leung, senior director of corporate relations, McDonald's China, said the problems arose as a shorter, 15-second spot did not convey the context of the scene. "In hindsight, we should probably have been a little bit more sensitive," Leung said. "We're committed to the market and we are committed to being more sensitive in the future."
It is the latest in a series of ads to be withdrawn following public complaints. Late last year, Nike was forced to cut an animated ad which showed NBA star LeBron James defeating a kung fu master, two women dressed in traditional attire and two dragons (a sacred symbol in China). In 2003, Toyota pulled a campaign that showed the marque towing a broken-down military vehicle past bowing Chinese stone lions, which are revered as symbols of authority.
Industry pundits said China was currently experiencing heightened sensitivity towards foreign interests. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's controversial visits to a war shrine recently and US pressure on the Chinese Government to revalue the yuan have prompted a surge in nationalism.
Optimedia China chief executive Steven Chang said Japanese and US companies in particular need to tread carefully. "Chinese citizens are looking for anything that may have an insulting aspect," Chang said. "[They] are currently being very sensitive."
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