Czech bank ad shows swarthy man as criminal

ČSOB bank has evidently decided to traffic in the anti-Romani sentiment in Czech society in its latest ad campaign. The visual image concerned is part of a campaign advertising the bank's insurance products, featuring the slogan "Insure your family silver before you leave to get bronzed", and shows a thief robbing a house.

News server E15 is convinced that the actor used to portray the thief has obviously Romani features. The bank is not aware that the advertisement is inappropriate. 

"The person portraying the thief is not of Romani origin and it was never our intention that he appear to be. All of the actors in the advertising campaign for ČSOB's insurance products are of Czech nationality and from the majority ethnicity. The idea that an actor of a different ethnicity should appear in this campaign was never even a creative idea for those who produced this advertisement," said ČSOB spokesperson Pavla Hávová.

The creator of the advertisement is the VCCP agency, which did not answer the E15 daily's questions about its product. The advertisement makes an offensive impression.

"Advertising is a powerful tool for sparking certain feelings in people. We all know this, and in the current atmosphere - indeed, in the 21st century - I would expect a firm that espouses social responsibility as one of the cornerstones of its business philosophy to place greater emphasis on who is contracted for its advertising, with what assignment, and what is to be basically communicated. Stereotypes should be revealed for what they are and broken down, not supported," said Jarmila Balážová, spokesperson for the Czech Human Rights Minister.   

Ladislav Šťastný, the executive head of the Advertising Council (Rada pro reklamu), has confirmed receipt of a complaint against this particular advertisement with respect to its racist subtext. The council's Arbitration Commission, however, has decided the ad is safe to air.