Swedish Hospitality?
First of all and just to make things clear, I’m not trying to make fun of any race of people here and I respect flipino people just as much as the next guy. I have flipino friends and I hope this won’t piss them off. It’s not about them, it’s about the ad.
On the back cover of the amazing bazaar dining guide (comes free with the free bazar magazine) you will find an ad for Ikea store restaurant. The ad is so blah you won’t even notice anything wrong about it if you were living in kuwait for some time.
We are so used to see flipino staff in most restaurants that it’s almost normal to ignore how hilarious this ad is. Here’s the ad …
Did you notice what I’m talking about?
Swedish hospitality? You portray that by showing your flipino staff dressed in cheap, silly swedish customes? I really feel bad for the staff who got dressed in these silly customes, I also feel sorry for the pathetic guys at the agency that made such ad. Maybe the client is stupid but it doesn’t mean you have to be as stupid as them. They’re paying you money so they can use your so called experience to do their ads professionally.
Shame on you Al-Homaizi, Shame on you Ikea and fucking shame on you Impact & Echo (If you still have that account) :p
Peace & Love to my flipinos and flipinas
… and sorry if I pissed any swedish people off in the process.
January 28th, 2006 12:12
Your point is right & clear,
unfortunately, a lot of ads agencies & the public as well, are used to see ‘non-natives’ presenting something ‘native’.
Ex:
An eastern european as a cowboy.
non-khaleeji arabs (not even Iraqi or Jordanian) as a khaleeji family (usually Saudi).
But the problem here is: something –supposedly- Swedish by non-caucasians (not even blondes).
January 28th, 2006 12:32
EXACTLY
I just wanted a blondie there
January 28th, 2006 14:12
and they don’t even wear that stuff there !
i went to ikea 2-3 weeks ago and they didn’t wear that ! i demand a refund ! i didn’t enjoy sweedish Hospitality !! and its not like they server sweedish food either
January 28th, 2006 14:23
I had the exact same reaction when i saw that…i mean its so retarded how could ANYONE approve an ad like that…and the restaurant is not even remotely swedish!!! so the whole thing is complete and utter bull…
January 28th, 2006 16:01
willage
January 28th, 2006 17:12
forzaq8, I feel even more sorry for them now …. they had to wear that only for this shoot.
mark, you got something to say? the cat ate your tongue?
nina, it’s just shameful … I never tried the resturant but we all know how ikea is a swedish brand and all that.
catch22, heh
January 28th, 2006 17:18
lol my dad loves the meatballs in ikea lol
but seriously, that ad sucks! i mean i would get it if they actually WORE it in the rest. (id resign if i had to tho!) but yah in sweden they dont even wear this.. true its their national costume… but seriously.. couldnt they think of something else!
the advertising guy needs to be shot! or have some swedish meatballs stuffed in his face
January 28th, 2006 21:59
LOL.. ad-companies… SADISTS I TELL YOU :p
January 29th, 2006 16:06
HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!! I scanned THE SAME advert 2 days ago, because I was going to blog about THE SAME EXACT thing!!!
Great minds baby!!!
January 30th, 2006 09:55
This is the first time I’ve seen the ad and my reaction was, “What tha fuuuuuuuuuu?” That’s about as messed up as seeing me in niqab! LOL
January 30th, 2006 21:15
i love the humor. I expect the resients will get it too. thx 4 the post.
February 1st, 2006 01:32
Dressing up filipinos in swedish folk-costumes is without a doubt just plain stupid. Then wishing them swedish hospitality that’s an insult if you know what kind of reputation swedish hospitality have in Europe (well they should know now shouldn’t they?). By the way, did I mention I’m swedish and no, I wasn’t pissed by your opinion (and swedish folk-costumes do look horrible). / Stoopid
February 1st, 2006 11:05
Mark, I had to delete your comment for its irrelevance and your unwillingness to explain.
February 1st, 2006 12:23
No worries, this Swede’s definately not offended. Please write our government and tell them to abolish our damn ugly historic folk-apparel… =)
February 1st, 2006 13:03
dude, you forgot to mention the Indian guy on the far left.. lol
February 1st, 2006 13:26
Don, he’s minority in that picture. :p
February 1st, 2006 16:31
What’s negative prone attitute I sense conserning Swedish hospitality?
We’re very customer oriented in Sweden….
Went to a restaurant the other day (not IKEA) and was going to buy lunch (about 9USD). In front of me was a woman who came up with the great idea of replacing the pasta in her Pasta/Tomato’n'Meat dish with rice. I liked this idea as I had pasta the day before, but wanted the Tomato’n'meat thingie… When I asked for a plate with the same thing as the customer before me I was met with a;
“Well, this was not the intention”.
WTF! I am paying 9 USD for a shitty meal (this was your typical mall restaurant) and the chef thought it was too much job changing my pasta for some rice!!!!
There u have it; Swedish Hospitality
February 1st, 2006 19:50
Tim & Stoopid!
Isn’t that just typical swedish behaviour to be ashamed of your own culture and “silly” traditions? Be proud of your roots - everybody else is. (This dosn’t have to mean that you get offended when others make fun of it!)
February 2nd, 2006 02:58
Well Handyman, being politically correct in my own country you have a point. On the other hand I’m not that kind of guy, I’m proud of my heritage, our great art-culture and traditions. However many of my compatriots are not.
It’s a sad but true fact, nothing I can do so much about but you have to admit that our folk-costumes do look rather silly (we’re not the only country with tasteless costumes but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re horrible to look at).
And swedish hospitality? Even if the regular swedes are selfloathing they seem to take pride in representing our famous hospitality).
/ Stoopid over and out
February 4th, 2006 18:40
Swedish hospitality oh really, no mini-skirts no white skinned blond chicks.
The picture would have look way better if they were dress as Indians (American Indians) than Swedish meatballs.
February 6th, 2006 16:33
Lol! Very funny ad! It looks really ugly
I dont even think that those folk-costumes are swedish, I think thay just are a certain swedish county (Dalarna). I have never seen anyone where such a costume IRL.
Btw, I think it is meant to bu funny. Above “Enjoy swedish hospitallity at IKEA store” It sais the same thing but in another language…philipinian language maby?
Or your ads maby usually have the ads on two languages?
I dont know, Im from sweden
February 6th, 2006 17:31
it’s arabic
March 4th, 2006 15:53
Here’s what is really funny - IKEA’s slogan in their ad campaign is “You don’t have to be rich - just smart!” The ad is hysterical.