Sony Doesn't Speak Chinese

Posted by Abe Sauer on September 21, 2009 11:13 AM

Congratulations! Sony wins the blue ribbon award for worst commercial of the new NFL football season. (And it seemed like Bud Lite's Billy Mays pitchman thing would be hard to beat.)

Sony’s new commercial for its Bravia HD television puts together some heavy-hitting spokespeople, including star NFL player Peyton Manning, star sports reporter Erin Andrews, and Justin Timberlake, a star of girlfriends' and wives' fantasies worldwide. But then Sony has them play ping pong and speak Chinese, which... you know... truly classy use of stereotypes there.

But it gets better: In another "joke," Peyton Manning says in "Chinese" that his Chinese is improving; Timberlake, spiking the ball past him, says "Your Mandarin is shaky at best," in quite possibly the worst Mandarin heard anywhere in the history of ever. Granted, most Americans aren't going to realize this. But given the great relationship between Japan and China, one would expect a little more respect from a company like Sony, right? What's that? Really? Ohhhh. Maybe not then.

More about: Sports, China, Sony

Denise Lee Yohn says:

i completely agree -- not only is it culturally insensitive, but it's a complete waste of the celebrities, the message gets lost, and it is so off-brand -- i can't even bear to watch this spot anymore and i used to love sony!

September 21, 2009 04:36 PM # Reply

Abe S says:

Looks like Apple is feeling the heat too www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/?p=2771

September 21, 2009 05:12 PM # Reply

Gustavo Leone MBA Student @ UWCBPM says:

I love fortune cookies. I never eat them so this was a perfect application for me. I just bought finished downloading it....good call!

September 22, 2009 05:52 PM # Reply

Super bowl tickets says:

Isn't Sony foreign owned? I thought they were headquartered out of Tokyo. You would think they would be more culturally sensitive than this.

September 21, 2009 06:45 PM # Reply

This ad was not funny at ALL! My next television purchase is going to be a Samsung for sure. What agency or creative was behind this??

September 22, 2009 05:48 PM # Reply

"Los Angeles office of an agency named 180"
www.nytimes.com/.../18adco.html?_r=1

September 22, 2009 09:04 PM # Reply

Hugh says:

I couldn't disagree more with these comments. The biggest flaw of the spot is poor Chinese? OK, well, that's pretty easily fixed. The idea was - the picture is so sharp "it makes you better at sports AND (something really difficult to learn,) Chinese."

It's hyperbole, people. It's also funny.

October 5, 2009 08:37 PM # Reply

Marble Countertops says:

I find learning Mandarin to be a tough job. How I wish I could be able to speak Mandarin as fluent as other people do. *sigh*

October 16, 2009 06:07 AM # Reply

payday loans says:

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November 26, 2009 05:29 PM # Reply

Do you make money out of this blog? just curious

November 26, 2009 05:52 PM # Reply

@michael - don't be so sure .

December 2, 2009 08:58 AM # Reply

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January 24, 2010 10:58 PM # Reply

Heating Boilers says:

I love how one of the commenters above says "isn't Sony foreign owned?" - one of the largest Japanese corporations !!! Mind you the poster then goes on to say "But given the great relationship between Japan and China" - no so certain of that given their history.

Anyway agree with the title, a bad advert if there ever was one.

January 29, 2010 01:02 PM # Reply