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.
Blending cultures is a particular challenge for advertisers. How do they appeal to one culture without offending others, who may misunderstand references and not recognize noted figures featured in ads? These are questions that Cablevision (NYSE: CVC) is probably asking.
To market its "Triple Play" offering (bundled cable, broadband, and telephone), the company hired globalWorks to create ads featuring the music and stars of reggaeton. Reggaeton, urban music that became popular with Latin American young people in the 1990s, is a fusion of Caribbean reggae and Latin forms such as salsa with rap and hip-hop.
Featured in the ads is a singer resembling the famous reggaeton star and Latin Grammy winner Daddy Yankee (Ramon Ayala), rapping and cavorting with three nubile young women/mermaids. The ads are rather camped up, but no more so than most music videos.
Nonetheless, some viewers found the rapper-style ostentation demeaning to Spanish-speaking Americans. Others took offense at the "Triple Play" tag, in some circles a very coarse term describing the menu of sexual possibilities.
I suspect, though, that many of those who criticized the ad were simply upset that the U.S. continues to evolve to integrate other cultures. For many, change is bad. And reggaeton is not their father's rock and roll.
See other examples of Ads Gone Bad.











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
9-05-2008 @ 3:35PM
David said...
Well its just a commerical n u guys are mentioning the wrong reggaton artist becasue it's not Daddy Yankee in that commercial because I never seen him in one commercial n plus this reggaeton artist in the cablevision commmerical is more stocky n darkier than Daddy Yankee becasue Daddy Yankee is less skinner n lighter skined then this artist in da commerical so next you guys gonna do an artictle about some n are gonna mention a reggaeton artist make sure you guys get the right name because any latin/hispanic will tell you that reggaeton artist in that commercial isn't Daddy Yankee!!!
10-06-2009 @ 11:17AM
Jason said...
Daddy Yankee does not appear in the commercial.
9-05-2008 @ 3:43PM
GENE said...
IF LATINS DON'T LIKE WHAT WE DO IN AMERICA, THEY CAN GO BACK TO THEIR THIRD WORLD SLUMS.
9-05-2008 @ 4:01PM
Quinee said...
I work directly in the industry and I can tell you that these dont look like any professional reggaeton artist I know. Like the person above said Daddy Yankkee is not even in the video that is posted. To see daddy Yankee or a video you can go to reggaetonline.net or even do a youtube search. Once you see a video you will agree that this is not Daddy Yankee in the commercial.
9-05-2008 @ 4:14PM
Ann Louise said...
I hate this commercial I have written and called Cablevision several times. I had to walk around with the remote so I could mute it or just turn it off. What does that add do with cablevision except make people mad. I fine this ad disgusting,degrading & offension.Sorry but that's how I fell.
9-06-2008 @ 3:03PM
Dante said...
Cablevision has flooded the air with a variety of TRIPLE PLaY ads. The sickening frequency of seeing that OPTIMUM logo has been well planned by Cablevision. They change the scenarios with new people, new music and new ideas, but the ads just keep rolling on - they want to capture our attention beyond what's reasonable. Too bad the FCC has no rule preventing the hijacking of airtime!!
9-05-2008 @ 5:29PM
miguelito said...
Sorry but somebody is over reacting to this cool video. I played and replayed the video and i didn't see anything offensive.
We should be one nation under the same culture ,the general culture, not doing our own thing in a land that is not even ours.
The race isolation issue is what separates people not the color of the skin or where people comes from. Its ridiculous to think that video is offensive.
9-05-2008 @ 5:42PM
akron said...
whatever
9-08-2008 @ 10:42PM
keith said...
my 3yr old grand-daughter learned her numbers from that commercial....the very fact that SOOOOO many people have reacted to it means the ad agency did its job.....the commercial does EXACTLY what it's supposed to do.....make you LQQK....and make you REMEMBER it....some people need to take their heads out of their asses......just like the uproar over the SIX FLAGS (more flags,more fun) campaign.....this ad was removed for a short time.....until the advertisers AND the clients got their heads TOGETHER and said ..."F**K these overly sensitive A**holes..!!!!" ....."run the ads!!!!"
9-05-2008 @ 6:44PM
dan said...
I cancelled cable and went to verizon just because of that commercial. if thats how they want to spend our money, then they did not need me.
9-05-2008 @ 6:59PM
Sam said...
This is such an annoying ad, But I do not find it offensive. The ad is just stupid and annoying. I guess they were targeting people who love reggaeton? I dunno. It just sucks. They could of done better, so I don't mind if they were sued...I just hope it was for being annoying. lol
9-05-2008 @ 7:23PM
Dave said...
Annoying ad, yes. Offensive? No.
The only people it could possibly offend are mermaids and crab people. The only thing I'm offended by is it's gratuitous use of sex appeal. Can there be anything advertised these days that doesn't require "hot" women cavorting around?
9-05-2008 @ 7:57PM
lefpapi said...
From day 1, this commercial has made me cringe! Simply because it gives the impression that latinos are all about reggaeton, parties, girls and bling. On top of everything, AOL assumes that all reggaeton is performed by DY... do we all look the same to them?? This is exactly what angers me about this commercial, it feeds latino stereotypes... This is not Daddy Yankee by the way, whoever he is, he's a sellout. Not that Yankee's not a sellout... after what he did with McCain... embarassing!
9-06-2008 @ 9:12AM
MST said...
My God, that's irritating!
I hate rap, especially when it's being shouted at me.
I confess I didn't know the phrase "triple play" was a sexually lurid slang.
The ad stridently insists on imposing itself. Not a welcome guest in my home.
9-06-2008 @ 11:09AM
Suz said...
Oh come on people, lighten up, this is the good ole USA, I think it has a nice beat to it..kinda catchy too. I am far from a reggae person, however for a commercial I happen to like it. So be nice, this is TV!!!
9-06-2008 @ 9:29PM
Dominick said...
Get real people. This COMMERCIAL is merely selling a product.How can it be offensive to Latinos when Latinos are the performers singing, dancing and having fun in it? This genre of music is what your children have been listening to for years, but Cablevision didn't include the obscenities your kids hear on their I-Pods. I think it was a whimsical, innovative approach to a "same old, same old " industry. Kudos Cablevision, you went off the beaten path. It beats watching a Verizon guy going door to door with a clipboard telling me he is taking over NYC!
9-07-2008 @ 2:56PM
Jamie said...
FINALLY! This commercial has annoyed the hell out of my husband and me for MONTHS!!!! I am not an older demographic either...I'm 29. I have called, written and I am NOT the type of person to complain but the ad is so obnoxious and so assinine, and they played the hell out of it.
ARE THEY FINALLY PULLING THIS AD???
I'll be PRAYING they do!
9-07-2008 @ 6:43PM
Wanda said...
Just so no one thinks I am some little kid, I am a 58 year old Grandmother. I see absolutely nothing offensive about this ad. I thought it was quite cute and much better than some of the ones I have seen from my local cable providers!
9-08-2008 @ 12:42PM
Barbara Kane said...
I find the mermaid/rapper commercial add to be just awful. It makes it a little too obvious who Cable is trying to apeal to. Free calls to Puerto Rico and Canada...indeed. But worst of all, Why on earth do they have to BLAST you out with the commercials when watching cable TV? I have to sit with my finger on the mute button on the remote to save my eardrums. Honestly, Cablevision, it AINT workin!!!!!!
9-08-2008 @ 1:31PM
Pete said...
It is pretty obnoxious but it is very catchy too. I don't think it's offensive. People are becoming way too sensitive and have dirty minds too!