Vodafone has removed a culturally insensitive advertisement from television and social media after the Regulator pointed out it was portraying Samoan culture as violent.
Talamua Online reports the Regulator Lematua Gisa Fuatai Purcell said she had asked to remove the advertisement as it depicts Samoan culture as violent and supporting bigamy.
The advertisement has a Samoan chief instructing untitled village men to grab a palagi man and bury him with his head sticking out of the sand but his Vodafone cellphone rings before they finish.
The palagi was spared when he told the village that he uses Vodafone which is also the villages’ preferred mobile phone provider.
The palagi man was then married to the village taupou and as the wedding proceeds on a beach, the palagi mans’ wife appears, but he used a coconut frond to cover his face as he hid behind the taupou.
According to the Regulator, the ad painted a negative image of the Samoan culture.
She said there were already complaints about the advertisement but she only saw the advertisement on television last Friday night and took action the following day.
The Acting Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Samoa, Rana Bose confirmed receipt of a letter from the Regulator to amend the ad but they have already taken the advertisement off air to make changes.
“The advertisement is purely imaginary humor and the concept was taken from a few Hollywood adventure movies with a Samoan touch,” said Bose.
He also emphasized that Vodafone respects Samoan culture and its values.
