Dec 18, 2006 11:20 pm US/Pacific
Cingular Pulls Ad After Racism Complaints
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS13) ―
Cell phone provider "Cingular" has changed its latest ad campaign after complaints of racial insensitivity.
Cingular, the company advertising fewest dropped calls, has dropped something.
Jimmy Crack Corn. It's an old folksong, and it's gone from Cingular's new commercial.
Jimmy Crack Corn is about a slave. He's grieving his master's death. It was written in the 1840's. Some say its offensive, but it's definitely controversial.
The company says:
"Cingular had, at most, a half dozen complaints. We took a look at the song itself. We wanted to make sure we didn't have even the appearance of offending anybody. The commercial was edited. We did the right thing."
That was a good call for the phone company, according to Sam Singer, an expert in advertising, says it boils down to ignorance.
"Because they didn't understand the marketplace and how African-Americans feel about the song," he says.
Media analysts say this is part of a bigger problem, the advertising business is only two percent black. A study done in New York has prompted 16 ad companies to hire more African-Americans.
As for Jimmy Crack Corn, it's a wake up call.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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