Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Volkswagen Apologizes For Racially Tone-Deaf Ad Of Giant White Hand Pushing Black Man Around Following Backlash

Car company Volkswagen has removed a racially-insensitive ad from their Instagram page.

The German manufacturer apologized and said they aren't sure how the offensive undertones of the clip were overlooked.


The ad, which is ten seconds long and promotes the Volkswagen Golf, features a black man being dragged, prodded and flicked around by a giant white hand.

Though it has now been removed from Instagram by Volkswagen, you can watch the spot which a German reporter screen-captured here:

The caption for the above tweet says (roughly):

"In the new #VW -Advertising, a Black man is pushed back and forth by a White hand and then flicked into a cafe with the name "petit colon". The first letters entered result in the N word. I could be sick."

At the end of the ad, some people took issue with the man being flicked into a cafe called "Petit Colón."

The phrase translates to "little settler" or "little colonist" according to Huffpost.

Then, when the German phrase for "The New Golf" appears onscreen ("Der Neue Golf") the first visible letters spell the German equivalent of the N-word.

Several German reporters pointed this out on Twitter.


Initially, Volkswagen responded to criticism by saying the races of the people in their ad didn't matter.

They were "surprised and shocked that our Instagram story could be so misunderstood."

Shortly after, however, board member Juergen Stackmann and head of diversity management Elke Heitmueller issued a joint statement.

Their revised response said they were "horrified" by the ad's contents.

The two Volkswagen leaders' statement referenced the fact that the company was founded by the Nazis, saying:

"That is precisely why we resolutely oppose all forms of hatred, slander/propaganda and discrimination."

They promised to investigate how the ad was allowed to be made and to share "results and consequences" with the public.



Volkswagen seems to issue an insensitive ad or comment every few years.

They were criticized for a racially tone-deaf Super Bowl ad in 2013, a misogynistic Audi ad in 2017 and referencing a Nazi slogan just last year.

It's more important than ever that companies are aware of what their advertisements are saying about race and gender, a lesson Volkswagen has learned the hard way.

More from Trending

Close-up shot of a beautiful young woman looking coyly into the camera. She wears a large black and white beach hat.
Photo by Jan Canty on Unsplash

Women Describe The Times A Man Stood Out To Them For A Positive Reason

Guys can be a lot.

I attest to that as one.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump after assassination attempt
Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images

White House Slammed After Replacing Obama Portrait With Painting Of Trump's Assassination Attempt

The White House is facing heavy criticism after it posted a video on X showing off a new painting of President Donald Trump's assassination attempt last summer—that is now hanging where an official portrait of former President Barack Obama was once displayed.

The portrait of Obama, unveiled in 2022 during former President Joe Biden’s administration, remains on display in the White House but has been relocated. Originally hung near the staircase to the presidential residence on the State Floor, it has been moved to the opposite wall—where a portrait of former President George W. Bush once hung.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lynda Carter
Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

Lynda Carter Has Iconic Reaction To Black Cosplayer Who Was Told She Shouldn't Dress As Wonder Woman

Actor Lynda Carter, best known for her role in the 1970s live-action television series Wonder Woman, has gone viral after she praised a Black cosplayer's Wonder Woman costume in response to the cosplayer's posts addressing criticism she received about dressing up as the iconic superheroine.

On Sunday, April 6, a cosplayer named Bibi took to X (formerly Twitter) to show off her Wonder Woman cosplay, or "costume play," after being told she shouldn't dress as Diana Prince, AKA Wonder Woman, because she's Black.

Keep ReadingShow less
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
C-SPAN

RFK Jr. Claims Autistic Children Will Never 'Hold A Job' Or 'Go On A Date' In Bonkers Rant

Once again displaying the incompetence inherent in the administration, Republican President Donald Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) held his first press conference on Monday.

The purpose was for HHS head Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to spout the misinformation, pseudoscience, and conspiracy theories the antivaxxer is known for.

Keep ReadingShow less
Aimee Lou Wood; Sarah Sherman
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO/Getty Images; Arturo Holmes/Getty Images

Aimee Lou Wood Reveals Sweet Apology Gift Sarah Sherman Sent Her After 'Mean' 'SNL' Spoof

Actor Aimee Lou Wood shared via her Instagram stories the apology she received from Saturday Night Live cast member Sarah Sherman.

Wood, a breakout star of HBO's third season of White Lotus, previously shared that SNL offered a mea culpa after the actor spoke out about a sketch featured on the show.

Keep ReadingShow less