These Are The Most Tone-Deaf And Insensitive Ads Of All Time

Lifestyle 3/29/18

Ad For Groupon Trivialized Tibetan Oppression

10 March Tibet Uprising Celebrtion Day 10032018 (40)

Photo credit: Jose Lopes Amaral/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

During the 2011 Super Bowl, Groupon aired an ad that offended numerous viewers. Actor Timothy Hutton starred in the commercial, which was similar in tone to the Save the Children ads. He narrated: “The people of Tibet are in trouble; their very culture is in jeopardy.” But instead of being a public service announcement, the ad turned into a joke.

Hutton mentioned how Tibetans “whip up an amazing fish curry” and extolled the virtues of getting a great deal on Tibetan food through Groupon. Tibetan independence from China is a serious issue, and many felt the ad trivialized the cause. Groupon apologized and blamed its advertising agency.