Chinese feel pinch of subway-squeeze ad

Beijingsubway The Chinese are pissed about a Beijing subway ad that addresses the city’s notoriously sardined straphangers with the line, “Squeezed in?! Go and buy a car then!” A Beijing local says “the company sees subway passengers as potential customers, but the scornful tone of the advertising language exposes a lack of interest in human feelings behind a meticulous design.” My translation: No one likes being told to eat shit and smile. Other begrudgingly admits the ad’s success: “If they only cared about getting eyeballs rather than [worrying about] the impact it would have on people and society, has it not been effective?” Here in the U.S., of course, we tend to figure an ad is successful if people don’t hate it.

—Posted by David Kiefaber

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