Richard Gere, Tibet and selling cars

Maybe it is a new corporate strategy. Mount an ad campaign. Anger Chinese. Capture lots of newspaper headlines. Issue an apology. Keep the ad campaign running anyway.

That’s what may be happening with actor Richard Gere and Italian carmaker Fiat.

See the 45-second Fiat ad with Richard Gere above. It shows Gere zooming from Hollywood to the Himalayan peaks in his new Lancia Delta auto.

Gere, of course, is the most highly visible Hollywood celeb supporter of the Dalai Lama. He’s chairman of the board of the International Campaign for Tibet, the diplomatic and lobbying arm of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

No one can suggest that Fiat wasn’t fully aware of Gere’s background when he was hired for the ad. Why else have a Tibetan motif?

Indeed, Lancia CEO Olivier Francois is quoted on this blog saying Gere was chosen because he “is not merely a fine actor; not merely one of the most famous men in the world. He is a man with a great difference: the ability to combine talent, fame and style with great character. I'm talking about his commitment to peace."

Obviously, Chinese got wind of the campaign and tarred Fiat as being anti-Chinese something that -- oh my God! – could hurt corporate profits in the lucrative Asia region.

But wait! Fiat did an end run. It apologized last Friday to China. It said the company does not want to “interfere with the internal political system of any country." The insinuation was that the ad would be pulled.

This week a Fiat spokesperson quietly said, after reaping publicity from the Gere controversy, that the ad would continue to run in Italy and even in other European countries as the new Lancia Delta rolls out there.

Fiat didn't drop Gere in a heartbeat, not like Dior dropping Sharon Stone last month.

So what does this show? Tibet sells in Europe. No matter how much Chinese officials claim that the Dalai Lama and Tibetan activists are part of a criminal clique, that image doesn’t ring true with European consumers. It’s a powerful image. Which brings up a secondary question: Actors and singers get involved with a lot of different issues. Bono has Africa and world hunger. Tom Cruise has Scientology. Angelina Jolie is a U.N. ambassador on refugees. And Gere has Tibet.

I suspect that Tibet is a fairly “Teflon” issue for Richard Gere in the Western world. I doubt it hurts his image. It is a net positive, casting him out of the mold of a typical self-absorbed actor. (Within China, that is another matter.) My question is: How much does Gere impact the Tibetan issue really? How much does his image help the government-in-exile raise money? Raise awareness?

 
Some scholars suggest the high-profile nature of pro-Tibet campaigns in the West actually mislead restive Tibetans to think they have more support than they really do. So they take to the streets. And most governments remain silent.

Apparently it is the carmakers who are the shrewdest of all.

Comments

[Netizen]

I don't think it's a smart move on the part of Fiat. The Chinese can count, like, this is the first offense. When it accumulates, as it inevitably will, Fiat, the whole group, will be in trouble in the China market. So, the car company is clever by half. And it will take Chinese netizens weeks to get its act together. So, I think your post is still too early to draw any conclusion.

[Olivier]

Well, it seems obvious that Fiat wants to send a pro-Tibet message to its western audience.
Fiat didn't expect that the ad would be seen in China.

This is an example of the difficulty of sending two different, opposite messages to two different audiences.

[Liar Liar]

Chinese market has been a failure for Fiat for years. Maybe it's time that the Italian want to quit.

[James Cochran]

My respect for Italians and the corporate leadership of Fiat has increased. Maybe the ad had nothing to do with Chinese politics at all. Lama imagery and Richard Gere have been in advertising for a long time. Even before many of the chinese children starting whining about Tibet. Interest and attraction to buddhism, the dalai lama, the himalaya's or Richard Gere exist prior to Lhasa Unrest.

Hope Fiat worded the appology such that it is clear they intended no harm to Chinese people. Positive images of Tibet and Lama's only communicates positive interest in those things. Also Fiat wishes to communicate an idea of freedom while driving their cares and zen mindfulness. It is unfortunate that these ideals are inconsistent with CCP policies inside the PRC. What Fiat chooses to do outside the PRC is the business of Fiat. Italy is a free country.

[Netizen]

It's not about free speech, rather it's about brand building in order to charge a premium for your product.

Sure, Fiat can do whatever it wants outside China. But Chinese are free to organize a boycott of its products. All is fair and square. The question is whether it is worthwhile getting Richard Gere to be your product promoter, given his history of involvement with Tibetan independence. In my analysis, Fiat will withdraw its ad without anyone knowing before the Chinese netizens get worked up.

[James Cochran]

No it's about free speech. Richard Gere, the Himalaya's and the Lamas are not Anti-China no matter how much the CCP tries to caste them that way. Fiat can use whatever imagery they want to use to communicate what ever it is they want to communicate.

This is the same as muslims getting upset at Danish cartoonists. Fiat should do what ever they want.

Richard Gere can be used as spokesman by anyone who wants to use him. Not need to analyze everything from the over sensitive point of view of the CCP tool.

[Mike]

That's pretty sneaky of Fiat.

How much does Gere impact the Tibetan issue really? How much does his image help the government-in-exile raise money? Raise awareness?

I'm glad you brought these questions up. Celebrities can often be great advocates for social change, using their wealth and fame to spur progress for the underprivileged. However, that sort of influence is not to be taken lightly. It requires more than a superficial understanding of the issues at stake, which unfortunately (re: Sharon Stone), is sometimes lacking.

[Tibetan]

Fiat and Gere are so disgusting. They care little for the true lives of Tibetan people. All they care is their money and Dalai Liar.

[Pffefer]

Tim and Cochran, what do you say about those Americans who got so upset over a Swedish (?) beer ad depicting California, New Mexico and Texas as part of Mexico, as they were?

My problem with Fiat is that if they believe they did nothing wrong, then why apologizing to the Chinese? And if they apologized to the Chinese because they think they did something wrong (by not being sensitive enough, perhaps), then why keep running the commercial? "You can't be a bitch and a nice woman at the same time."

"How much does Gere impact the Tibetan issue really?"

Nothing. Gere has been around for ages, Tibet is still Tibet. The riots in March accomplished something Gere would never have been able to.

" How much does his image help the government-in-exile raise money? Raise awareness?"

Not much. Again, news events like the riots are what catch poeople's attention, not some celeb endorsing XXX.

[old junk]

Fiat is on the brink of winding up. This is nothing by a desperate move by Fiat to turn abysmal deficit to profits.

But sad to say, Gere is a jinx to Fiat. With or without Gere, Fiat is destined in reversing gear mode and falling into an abyss.

Not only China wants Gere to reversing gear on China, but India also wants Gere engaging the reversing gear mode on India.

Bye bye Fiat. Gere is a nuisance in China and India.

Gere in 1st gear in India

[Lindel]

On this issue there can be no concessions made. Westerners can have an interest in Buddhism, they can practice Buddhism, they can be interested in Tibetans, they can respect and admire the Dalai Lama and be concerned about the oppression of the Tibetan, they can use images of Lamas and the Himalayas to communicating what ever they want to and in doing these things in no means is this anti-chinese or anti-china. The government of China is wrong and the ignorant mal-informed perveyors of the misguided immoral policies of the Chinese government in the Tibetan Autonomous Region are wrong.

[Sherry]

I'm sorry, no excuses made please, if you support Tibetan-independence, you are 100% anti-China.

This has nothing to do with CCP, I don't like the CCP, but I'm disgusted with the excuses some Westerners make for their insensitivity, their ignorance and arrogance.

These Westerners disgust me as much as the CCP.

[Sherry]

I support the "freedom fighters" and their revenge on USA, BUT, I'm not anti-USA, blah blah blah...People whining about how they're misunderstood by Chinese people for supporting Tibet-independence sounds exactly like that...

[Lindel]

Soon an african american president can look you in the eye and ask why are there not any Tibetan minority peoples among the members of the central planning committee or among the rulers of the TAR, it would be interesting if your ability to communicate articulately will have improved enough to respond with an answer that contains even a modicum of virtue.

[Tashi Phuntsok]

It is totally ridiculous on part of Chinese government and Chinese people to criticize and condemn the Richard Gere and Fiat Company for the new fiat advertisement.

After six decades long repression on Tibetan people in Tibet, the Chinese govt. are now invading the life of people of other nation through blackmail and bullying.

You have seen Nancy Pelosi, Angela Merkal, Sharon Stone and now Richard Gere. World need to be more cautious about the Chinese design or else they may be successful in curtailing the freedom of people of other countries also. Hence, raise your voice against the Chinese government regular bullying on the freedom loving people in the world. FREE TIBET.........

[Tim J]

Actually Lindel or James or whatever, there are Tibetans in the rankings of TAR rulers. The vice secretary of TAR is Xiangpa Phuntso. While the general secretary, Zhang Qingli, is Han, other visible figures lower down are Tibetan. This is not surprising. Many middle-class Tibetans have prospered from huge Chinese investment in Tibet.

[Lindel]

Mr Whatever.
Visible figures are not decision makers or in positions of authority.
Your quantification of many is not accurate. A more accurate statement is some Tibetans have prospered.

I am capable of understanding the phenomenom. We call those "tokens". Authoritarian states use this methodology to provide an appearance of legitmacy to the public. Thank you for again mindlessly repeating the official party line. Perhaps Zhang Qingli will provide you a glowing letter in your performance appraisal. More Han have prospered at the expense of Tibetans, and most of them are recent arrivals.

[Junhui]

Before I say anything about the clip. I want to respond to Lindel.

You say China has placed "immoral policies" on the TAR. Can you name some? Do you mean the stipend that they give Buddhist monks? That is definitely immoral in an atheist country. In fact, shame on China for not separating church and state. What other policies are you referring to?

You also responded to Mr. Whatever, aka Tim, aka the guy who kicks many butts in one fatal swoop, saying you understand "tokens" and Tibetan prosperity.. Are you appalled by how many more Hans prospered at the expense of Tibetans? How about looking back and seeing how 5% of the Tibetan nobles/monks benefited on 95% of the Tibetan peasants before TAR. Yes, there is no denying it, there are many more Hans who have prospered compared to Tibetans in TAR. But look at the population difference. Lets just say that Hans outnumber Tibetans equally 100 to 10. Lets make it so each group has 10% wealthy people, that would mean Hans have 10 rich people, and Tibetans wold only have 1. Make sense?

Think about it.

In response to the clip. I think it was wrong for China to even complain about it. Don't get me wrong, the clip was promoting western fantasies of Tibet as a barran snow-filled wasteland with happy children, but the Company meant no harm. I highly believe it. Maybe Gere meant harm but the company did not.

This is capitalism at its best. The company took a local ad, and now has international recognition. Wouldn't you call that marketing success? They used Gere, they used the Tibetans and they used the Chinese government to get the most bang for their marketing bucks. They could care less about Tibet and Gere. They just want to sell cars.

I think what China should have done was not made an international outcry but instead, just ban imports, no reasons given. I have never heard about the company until today. Bravo Fiat marketing team.

The Central Government needs to stop playing their games! Shame. I mean Sharon Stone and "Kafudi", that was slander, but Fiat's ad? Nothing more than subliminal advertisement, trying to get more exposure with a limited amount of money.

[Marvin L Foushee]

The problem with Tibetan Buddhism in a modern age is that the parents of the "chosen one" can say, "He is just a stupid kid, our child, and he is not the Dalai/Panchen Lama."

Should the rights of the parents to protect and nurture their five year old child out weight the rights of the religious zealots who want to kidnap the child and take him to their Lamasery and brainwash him into believing that he is the chosen one. Of course, the child may be the chosen one, the living Buddha.

Under Communism or under a Tibetan Buddhist theocracy, the rights of the parents and the child can be subverted for the greater good of the community and the nation, but in a true democracy, the rights of the parents to say, "bugger off, you religious Richard Gere perverts" remains supreme.

[Marvin L Foushee]

"No Gold (999); No Silver (666)." These are the words handed down to the Panchen Lama from the heavens above him.

This is quite a death sentence on 10,000 American atheist monks in the monkey shrub/bush/gear reincarnation.

[wz]

I appreciate the "save the world" vogue in Hollywood; on the other hand, these people's understanding of the complexity of politics and society is so superficial that their enthusiasm is likely to be manipulated by bigger forces.

They also seem quite hypocritical. Think about Sharen Stone. She shoots "Basic instinct" twice, touting violence, sex, and whatnot, and they preach on peace and charity?

[sunbin]

well, Dior didn't do anything significantly different. it dropped stone in promo materials only in China.

[abde]

@Lindel
"why are there not any Tibetan minority peoples among the members of the central planning committee or among the rulers of the TAR" - There are 5 million tibetans and 1.1 billion hans in China. I think the answer is simple why there are no central planning tibetans. As for Tibetan TAR officials, I think I read somewhere that the TAR is made of 70-80% Tibetans. There is room to improve but that's hardly no Tibetan minority peoples among the rulers of the TAR.
Also how do you know Tibetans aren't the policy makers?

[coldblooded3]

the true reason is Fiat has no biz in China, so they dont care. ask BMW try this shit, I dare them, I double dare them.

[Mick]

Italians have always had flair for using social and political issues in marketing, viz Benneton and AIDS. It's rather rich of Chinese to complain about Gere's rather schlocky ad, given the number of Chinese companies that cash in on fake Tibetan and other minority chic in their TV ads.