Viva la gaffe... Mercedes-Benz apologises for using image of Che Guevara to promote ...

Daily Mail ^ | 13th January 2012 | Beth Stebner

[DogByte6RER]

Viva la gaffe... Mercedes-Benz apologises for using image of Che Guevara to promote 'revolutionary' car sharing programme

(Viva la revolucion: Mercedes Benz used an iconic image of Marxist revolutionary leader Che Guevara to promote a new ride-share initiative)

Che Guevara, the famous Argentinian-born revolutionary and military theorist, wore many hats – including that of physician, author, and guerrilla leader. But he almost certainly never wore one with a Mercedes-Benz logo.

The high-end car company, known for its impeccable - and pricey - motor vehicles, used the late leader to promote a new car-sharing program, much to the horror of Cuban activists and political conservatives

During an annual Consumer Electronics Show, the company’s chairman Dieter Zetsche said some colleagues ‘still think that car-sharing borders on communism.

‘But if that’s the case, viva la revolucion,’ he said. He was referring to CarTogether, a new initiative proposed by Mercedes-Benz that allows like-minded strangers to find passengers with whom to carpool.

During the pitch, the famous Alberto Korda photo of Guevara was proximately displayed – but on his beret was the logo of the luxury car brand, msnbc.com reports. Out of anger, several anti-Castro activists launched petitions against Mercedes.

[DogByte6RER]

Some antidotes to Mercedes Benz's Che fetish

[An.American.Expatriate]

Gaffe?

Most Europeans ADORE Che - and a lot of companies here advertise with that image ...

[pyx]

Che Guevara, the famous Argentinian-born revolutionary and military theorist, wore many hats – including that of physician, author, and guerrilla leader.

Che wore another hat ... SERIAL MURDERING B@$T@RD.

[SMARTY]

That most recent earthquake was really CHE’S rotting corpse rolling over in his grave!! ;)

[IbJensen]

Benz must be on drugs. Che was a psychopathic mass murderer that got his just reward when some white hat mowed him down. To use him to sell their car line makes me want to trade my Bluetech in on an Audi.

[spokeshave]

....well at least they were promoting a car sharing.....

[caver]

Why didn’t they use Marx? Wasn’t he a German?

[WayneS]

Well, Che was born rich, and he certainly would have been able to afford to purchase any number of Mercedes Benz automobiles. In fact, were he alive today, he would most definitely qualify as part of the 1%.

I wonder how many of his lazy, brain-dead ‘marxist’ admirers know that.

[joe fonebone]

HEY!!!!!!! you went to che-mart.com, didn’t you?

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Why didn’t they use Marx? Wasn’t he a German?

According to the grandparents of today's self-righteous Germans, Marx was not German, he was an Untermensch, i.e., subhuman. A view I am sure that many modern Germans share. The problem with Hitler in their view is not that he was evil, but that he lost. How about a real German icon?I mean it's not like the Germans lack for totalitarian thugs of their own, why borrow other peoples?

Das ist keine Photoshop

[Dr. Sivana]

Besides the Cubans and conservatives who have a problem with this, I am surprised the Che-loving Commies aren’t crying about a Mercedes-Benz logo on the hat, and using the “noble” goals of Che and his ilk to hawk a car.

[Dr. Ursus]

Six wheel Benz.

[KarlInOhio]

Carpool in a Mercedes or get a bullet in the back of your head.

I still need to get a shirt printed with Che's last picture hosted by the Bolivian army.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I actually saw a convertible six wheel Benz one night at a rotary in Westchester County, New York around 1970. Surprised me. German roads were still mostly gravel and dirt in the early 1930's, so two rear axles might come in handy in those situations. I remember reading somewhere, I think it was in Inside the Third Reich about an incident where Hitler's MB got into a race with a Pontiac on the Autobahn, pre-War. The Pontiac overheated, only increasing Hitler's already huge disdain for all things American.

[DogByte6RER]

Oh yes. I have my Che - Murdering Communist Bastard shirt.

[joe fonebone]

I like that all their shirts are guaranteed manufactured in sweatshops...:)

[Moltke]

Der Führer war ein armes Schwein - er hatte keinen Führerschein.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Fünf Mark die Woche musst Du sparen,
Willst Du im eigenen Wagen fahren

[Elle Bee]

CafePress > T-shirts > Anti Che T-shirts

.

[blueunicorn6]

I was going to say we could show a picture of the American tanks with Cadillac engines tearing up Germany, but the UAW is probably pro-Che. I guess you have to buy Japanese cars now to be patriotic.