Mercedes And Che Guevara Ad

Mercedes have used the famous image of Che Guevara, by Alberto Korda, to promote their car-sharing initiative app CarTogether, where people look to find people to share rides with. Only difference was that in the picture instead of the star on Guevara’s hat they put the Mercedes logo. Pretty sick stuff whichever way you look at it.

Cuban activists and political conservatives where shocked. Heritage Foundation Vice President Mike Gonzalez had this to say: “Che Guevara, not to put too fine a point on it, was a psychopath whose sadistic lust for blood was not easily quenched. He killed for pleasure.” Ernesto Suarez created an online petition for Mercedes-Benz to apologize saying that Che Guevera was “a racist, homophobic, anti-semitic and tyrannical killer who admitted in his own writing to his endless blood thirst.”

Daimler AG, Mercedes-Benz’s parent company, has since issued an apology: “Daimler was not condoning the life or actions of this historical figure or the political philosophy he espoused. We sincerely apologise to those who took offense.” Just looking to make money, folks, by any means necessary. Surely, not something you’d associated with Che Guevera who said: “Man really attains the state of complete humanity when he produces, without being forced by physical need to sell himself as a commodity.”

Not sure the advertising guys thought this through. Whether Guevera was a killer or a driven revolutionary looking to change how people lived and thought is irrelevant to the fact that Mercedes have overstepped their mark. Almost as ironic as when Mercedes used a certain Janis Joplin song to advertise their cars.

Source: The Daily Mail