World

Brian the fake sumo hits bank's credibility

by Paul Conneally | August 24, 2008 at 09:06 am

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HSBC - self-styled 'the world's local bank' scores an own goal with their culturally insensitive sumo wrestler ad. With all the money that the banks make despite the credit crunch one would think that their budget could stretch to hiring a real sumo wrestler instead of a fake white one made up to look Japanese. They could have used the same strap line "Fixed savings rates that won't budge" and shown a picture of one of the increasing number of obese Brits.

One of the world's biggest banks has been accused of 'cultural insensitivity' after dressing up an overweight white man to look like a sumo wrestler.

HSBC, which calls itself 'the world's local bank', is running a series of billboard and print advertisements featuring the wrestler alongside the slogan: 'Fixed savings rates that won't budge.'

The campaign has upset members of Britain's Japanese community, who claim that the man's skin tone has been darkened and that make-up has been applied that appears to narrow his eyes. The pseudo sumo - a model known only as Brian - has been given a Japanese-style wig and is dressed in a traditional mawashi belt. The controversy follows the publication of a photograph depicting members of Spain's Olympic basketball team making slit-eyed gestures in Beijing - to the consternation of their Chinese hosts.