Car dealership says blackface video 'solely a marketing initiative' in public statement

Car dealership JDM Automobile Carros Centre has put out a statement saying that its video featuring a salesman with blackface is "solely a marketing initiative". In its statement on Facebook, JDM Automobile Carros Centre said it appreciates the feedback provided regarding its marketing campaign.

"We take all concerns seriously and are committed to continuous improvement," said the statement.  The statement added that JDM Automobile acknowledges that the reel may have been perceived as having racist intent, but it is "intended solely as a marketing initiative.""We are deeply committed to promoting racial equity and are staunchly anti-racist. We will continue to uphold the highest standards in all our communications," said the statement.

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JDM Automobile later apologised for any offense caused, thanking those who brought the issue to their attention too. "We value the opportunity to address and resolve any concerns," it said.

Following the video and statement, Singaporean stand-up comedian Sharul Channa made an open appeal to the Singapore government and authorities to impose fines and ban "black face". "I urge the government of Singapore to put strict fines on those people who paint their faces black for the purpose of making fun of others - whether their intentions was to hurt or not is not the point,' said Channa.

She added that "making fun of people who are of African descent is completely unacceptable considering the atrocities they have suffered at the hands of many colonisers over the centuries". In her appeal, she listed several other similar incidences including a student who dressed as a dark-skinned delivery rider on Racial Harmony Day and an E-Pay advertisement by NETS which sparked 'brownface' controversy.

The now-deleted video features a JDM Automobile salesman known as Kenny with his face painted in black. He is then seen attempting to sell a car and its features. In certain parts of the video, pictures of Native American people and a video of an African man was included. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to JDM Automobile for a statement. 

Similarly in 2019, NETS released an E-Pay advertisement featuring Mediacorp actor Dennis Chew dressed up as four characters, including a Malay woman and an Indian man. To portray these characters, Mr Chew’s skin was made up to look darker.

Days after the ad, NETS and its agency at the time, Havas, released an apology for any hurt that the campaign caused. It added that the intention behind the ad was to communicate that e-payment is for everyone.

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