Ads Gone Bad: Public Storage anti-semitic -- 'the worst ever'

Posted Sep 9th 2008 3:55PM by Sheldon Liber
Filed under: Consumer Experience, Television, Rants and Raves, Marketing and Advertising, Public Storage (PSA)

This post is part of our Ads Gone Bad series. Share your thoughts and memories of this ad in the comments, and be sure to check out our other posts on marketing gone wrong.

I have watched this controversial advertisement for the Public Storage Co. over and over and I take no offense. Spike has portrayed it as the most anti-Semitic "worst ever" commercial, but I do not see it that way. Given my father is a survivor of the Holocaust (Warsaw Ghetto and all) and I have grown up with many accounts of murderous atrocities and learned of, and experienced, many more anti-Semitic accounts, I think Spike is way off base with this one.

The voice-over they use of a middle-aged New York women suggests frugality to me, not someone who would be perceived as cheap or miserly as might be the more offensive stereotype Spike is imagining. "The worst ever"? Not by a long shot. The accent could actually be that of any woman from Brooklyn until the word "oy" is spoken, which adds specificity.

I suppose if one views the stereotype of Jews always wanting to buy "wholesale" instead of retail then there might be a fine point worth discussing here, but I do not think that is the case either. The commercial makes a very simple point: prices are going up for many everyday things that we take for granted, but Public Storage has held the line, or so they claim.

It is not probable that Public Storage seeks to equate with being cheap in this ad, as much as to point out a good value. It is not offensive to me if Jews are perceived as wanting a bargain. It is only the unworldly that do not know the entire Middle Eastern and Indian culture of the bazaar, and all of Asia as well, that have similar patterns of shopping and buying that one would view Jews as different in this regard. That is the majority of the world. My pal Warren (not Jewish) certainly shares this desire.

There are plenty of examples of racism and intolerance in our society but we have become overly sensitive on many occasions and while I remain vigilant for both unfortunate extremes I choose to be a voice of moderation. I think we can be playful in our characterizations without setting off alarms -- chill out Spike TV, you may have lost your way.

In this case, charges of anti-semitism
Hit the nail on the head	70 (5.7%)
Are utter nonsense	1009 (81.6%)
Could go either way	98 (7.9%)
Don't know, don't care	60 (4.9%)

Sheldon Liber is the CEO of a small private investment company and the principal for design and research at an architecture & planning firm. He writes the columns Chasing Value and Serious Money. DISCLOSURE: I currently do not own shares of Public Storage. I have had business dealings with an affiliate company.

See other examples of Ads Gone Bad.

Tags: ads, Ads Gone Bad, anti-semitism, bad ads, PSA, Public Storage, Sheldon Liber, spike tv

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

9-06-2008 @ 2:05AM

cntrypstrw said...

I say "oy", and I have NO Jewish blood at all!
I grew up hearing people say it.
I also say, "ach", and "Uff Da", and I'm not Pennsylvania Dutch or Norwegian.
I am always looking for a good bargain, though.

9-05-2008 @ 3:20PM

kenny said...

it is a common american expression these days. i say it, friends of mine say it and none of us are Jewish.

if anything it is a pro-semitic statement, showing that Jewish culture has integrated well into, and indeed has been embraced by the mainstream american culture.

9-05-2008 @ 5:51PM

akron said...

even still i don't see it as being anti - semetic. sterotyping maybe, which could lead to anti - semitism. but i'm like you guys, i'm black and sometimes i say Oy!

9-05-2008 @ 6:00PM

Jimmy said...

Give Me a break. I and my friends have used this expression for many a year with no disrespect to anyone. It has always been used by people from NY & NJ and other places in the world. Get a Life

9-05-2008 @ 6:34PM

Mr. Head-not-in-ass said...

This is another display of politicle terrorism. What happend to the freedom of speech?! Even if said "jew's are evil", that should be okay because its MY OPINION! If I said "kill the jew's" then yes, that is anti-semitic. When people live in fear of the way their words will be interpreted you are promoting another form of terrorism! Politicle correctness is a form of censorship witch is long overdue to be done away with.

9-05-2008 @ 7:19PM

Galileo said...

It's really non sense. I agree 100% with the gentleman Mr.Head-not-in-ass.The Jews don't understand that are non sense like that which create the real anti-semitism.

9-07-2008 @ 5:47PM

kathrowe said...

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York many years ago. Oy, and oy vey are favorite expressions used by every native-born New Yorker whether Jewish or not. It's a nod to our Jewish neighbors, not a slur. It is part and parcel of New York City slang. How ignorant to think it's anti-semitic.

9-07-2008 @ 6:09PM

Sheldon L said...

When my editors asked me to review this absurd accusation on the part of Spike I could not know how our readers would respond to my commentary.

I am glad sanity has carried the day by an overwhelming margin...to everyone else...lighten up people.

9-08-2008 @ 11:29AM

Kjell said...

How many Jewish employees work at Spike? I would wager the number is ZERO. Far too many clueless Americans try to be offended on others behalf!

9-09-2008 @ 1:11PM

Jim said...

This expression has been used in movies, on tv and in life. It is not used to demean anyone but used as an expression.

9-10-2008 @ 8:26AM

Scott said...

I watched this twice to see if I missed something...I didn't. This is no more anti-semitic than the old Levy's rye bread commercials..."You don't need to be Jewish to love Levy's Rye Bread." Folks, I'm a rabbi, if that counts for anything here. We all need to lighten up and regain our collective sense of humor.

9-09-2008 @ 5:44PM

Willie said...

I think Public Storage knows that jewish folks have the best stuff and want them for clients just in case one kicks the bucket and leaves their bill unpaid, so they can get the goods. I think they are guilty of pandering not being anti-semetic.

10-23-2008 @ 2:57AM

orionsbow said...

Coffee-schmoffee. I'm Jewish, every single one of my ancestors is Jewish. What's the problem? So we're frugal, big whoop. So we regularly lament the high price of things, you want I should throw money away like a shlemiel? Oy! Take a shpatzir.
It's funny already, don't get me started...

10-23-2008 @ 8:50AM

lynxx said...

So what about the person in the commercial who says "Forgetaboutit"? Isn't that anti-something? Italian? Mobs? New Jerseyans? Seems that nowadays, you can read racism into anything.

Oy!