Swen gatekeeper / dpa
Volkswagen headquarters in Wolfsburg
After the internet shit storm because of a racist promotional videos at VW Now the entire board should deal with the further processing of the topic. Volkswagen decided this Show stock market chart on Friday after internal auditors reviewed the history of the heavily criticized Instagram spot for the Golf 8. “The first results are available,” said the board member for integrity and law, Hiltrud Werner. “Now in the coming week, the Group Executive Board will evaluate these findings and advise on the consequences.” Details have not yet been released.
About that ten second clip there was an oversized white hand pushing a black man around and flicking it into the entrance of a building. Towards the end a sequence of letters appeared, the insertion of which suggested the word “Negro”. The VW works council called for a quick reappraisal after the group, in the opinion of many critics, had apologized too late and played down. The influential IG Metall shop stewards worry about the image of their employer. According to reports, it could now be tight for responsible marketing managers.
Outrage in social networks
The creation of the video had been examined for two weeks. “We will inform our employees and the public as soon as possible after all the advice on the Group Board of Management about all important details and backgrounds,” announced Werner. “We will also report on what Volkswagen is doing to prevent this from happening again.” Racism, discrimination and intolerance have no place at VW.
The sequence had on social networks Indignation. “The video is borderline and completely racist in its effect,” said Tahir Della, spokesman for the initiative Black People in Germany. At first, VW was “surprised and shocked” by the reactions, but then clarified the excuse: Jürgen Stackmann, Sales Director, spoke of a “racist advertising video” that offends every decent person.
Volkswagen: This should be fired. And Pötsch anyway
However, the video had appeared on the official Twitter account of Stackmanns eleven days before it was published on Instagram and was deleted after initial criticism. Stackmann does not operate the profile itself, it is managed. “Mr. Stackmann was not informed about the notification and deletion of the video released by the specialist department,” said a VW spokesman.
The works council warned of hasty conclusions – regardless of this, the group is again threatened by communication with a situation of the greatest scope and scope. The mighty confidence bodies of the German VW plants were also addressed to the board of directors because of the video affair: “This bad picture destroys customer confidence that has grown over decades and thus endangers our jobs.” They also criticize the handling of starting problems with models, the consequence being a “marketing and communication disaster”.
la / dpa