Photo: Instagram via DW
We all need a good social media quote on Monday to kick off the week. How else would we get out of bed, in the car, and off to work? Hence, #mondaymotivation, to help you start the day in a more optimist, work-oriented tone. But, as it seems, not all quotes are created equal and some may ruin your week instead.
In the first day of the week, Mercedes-Benz thought to give its fans a great reason to start the week, so it chose a quote by Dalai Lama, written all over a C-Class Coupe sittin' on a beach: "Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more open.”
The quote was posted on Instagram, which is officially blocked in China. Chinese people, however, are computer savvy and they do use VPNs, despite the authorities' efforts, no it wasn't long until the photo of the Merc with the Dalai Lama quote popped up all over the place.
The Chinese and the Tibetans, which the Dalai Lama represents, have been at odds for several decades now. Tibet, which has been occupied and ruled by China since 1951, was witness to “cultural genocide,” say the Tibetans, and “spiritual terrorism,” argue the Chinese.
So one might understand why posting a quote of an archenemy to advertise a product might cause some disturbance here and there. It's like having Kim Jong-un give you career advice on Mondays, or Hitler summing up the week.
Mercedes quickly picked up on the fact that it messed up, so it removed the ad and issued an official apology on Tuesday: "Even though we deleted the related information as soon as possible, we know this has hurt the feelings of people of this country," Mercedes-Benz said according to Deutsche Welle.
'We published extremely incorrect information, for this we are sincerely sorry."
The quote was posted on Instagram, which is officially blocked in China. Chinese people, however, are computer savvy and they do use VPNs, despite the authorities' efforts, no it wasn't long until the photo of the Merc with the Dalai Lama quote popped up all over the place.
The Chinese and the Tibetans, which the Dalai Lama represents, have been at odds for several decades now. Tibet, which has been occupied and ruled by China since 1951, was witness to “cultural genocide,” say the Tibetans, and “spiritual terrorism,” argue the Chinese.
So one might understand why posting a quote of an archenemy to advertise a product might cause some disturbance here and there. It's like having Kim Jong-un give you career advice on Mondays, or Hitler summing up the week.
Mercedes quickly picked up on the fact that it messed up, so it removed the ad and issued an official apology on Tuesday: "Even though we deleted the related information as soon as possible, we know this has hurt the feelings of people of this country," Mercedes-Benz said according to Deutsche Welle.
'We published extremely incorrect information, for this we are sincerely sorry."
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