German electronics retail giant receives harsh criticism for deploying Italian stereotypes in TV ad
Media Markt, Germanys electronics giant, caused stir with a TV ad using a stereotypical depiction of Italians. Using the occasion and popularity of the UEFA European Championships they depicted the Italians, with the character Toni, as macho, sexist and crazy about soccer. The commercial shows Toni who is looking for a new flatscreen TV while talking with a thick Italian accent and using cheesy sales tactics. He is wearing an Italian sweat suit suite, oversized sunglasses pushed back into his hair, a gold necklace and a stereotypical moustache. One spot in particular caught much attention. In this spot Toni explains the difference between Germans and Italians: “The Germans buy laptops; the Italians buy referees,” a reference to the bribery scandal in Italian football in 2006. Popular Italian newspapers like Corriere della Sera and La Republica called the ad racist and also Italians living in Germany were offended by the ads. Media Markt decided to remove the ads after these afflictions. This was not the first time that Media Markt earned harsh criticism for their derogative stereotypical campaigns. In March 2006 the company ran a spot that depicted Polish people as thieves – a widespread stereotype of Polish people in Germany. This commercial was removed as well from the campaign.
