Bridgestone isn't necessarily known for their commercials, but I thought they did an admirable job this year. This one really stood out for me:
For many of us, this is a common fear: Thinking you're sending a private email, but discovering that you actually hit 'Reply All.'
I'm sure that most of us have sent a message to a friend, and then panicked as we wondered: "Wait, did I reply just to him, or to everyone?" The time it takes to check your sent mail folder for confirmation can be some of the most tense seconds you'll ever experience.
It seems odd to me that he didn't seem to have sent the email to anyone in his company. He spends most of his time driving around to various places in order to destroy the computers of people who might have read the email.
Isn't it much more likely that he would have sent the email to co-workers, and he would have spent his time trying to destroy the company's server, or at least disable the computers of everyone in the office?
I suppose that wouldn't make for a very good tire commercial, but it would have been more true to the spirit of the ad.
He also seems to have sent the email to quite the diverse group of people. One minute, he appears to be in a business meeting. The next minute, he's attacking someone in the woods or at a coffee shop. What kind of email distribution list is this guy on?
How bad was this email anyway? I realize he might not want these people to read it, but is what he wrote going to make them any angrier than stealing or destroying their computers? I might not appreciate an offensive email, but I really wouldn't appreciate someone destroying my laptop. Those things aren't cheap!
I think the answer becomes clear after we take a closer look at the people to whom he sent the email. It seems like there is a disproportionately high number of minorities in the group. This leads me to believe that the email he sent out contained some racist content.
That makes sense, as he probably thinks it is better to be branded as "insane, computer destroying guy" rather than as a racist. Eventually, people will look back at his madcap computer stealing spree and laugh about it. If they think he's a racist, they'll never treat him the same way again.
In the end, I'm not sure what to think about this commercial. Sure, the guy underwent quite a trauma, but ultimately, his reputation will be unharmed. (Excluding of course all the people who are probably really pissed at him for destroying their computers)
But is that a good thing? Shouldn't we want him to be outed as a racist? Is it really a happy ending if he and his Aryan buddy can keep making their hateful jokes, and they are never forced to face any consequences?
Rating: 2.5 TVs - I thought I was onboard with the commercial's message, but in 2011, there is no place for racism.
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