The Renault Twingo Ad Silvio Berlusconi Doesn't Want You To See
Published: December 19th, 2010
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Renault’s “We Live In Modern Times” series of ads for its Twingo subcompact were a favorite at TTAC’s “Shameless Sexual Exploitation Weekend,” but it’s this Italian Twingo ad that has the French automaker back in the news. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has banned this Publicis-produced spot from both state-owned RAI television and his own Mediaset broadcasting empire, for its overt use of lesbian themes. It’s not clear exactly what motivated Berlusconi’s decision, but for a guy who is now most famous for his “bunga-bunga” group sex parties and underage girlfriends, it’s one hell of a hypocritical move.
More by Edward Niedermeyer
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Martin, Oliver - I'm not sure you are accurately portraying what VAT is really all about. If you run a business and buy a vehicle, you pay 100% of that VAT. However, you get to reclaim 100% of the value of that tax on your next return, so effectively, the purchase price is NET of VAT. Individual consumers have to pay 100% of the VAT and have no opportunity to reclaim it. It's simple - if you add value, then you don't pay, if you don't add value, you pay. There are other taxes in different countries in Europe when buying a new vehicle (or when registering a new or second-hand vehicle). These taxes often reflect national policies, either with regards to fuel types, environmental issues, wealth redistribution etc. So in some countries, like Denmark or the Netherlands for example, the purchase price of the vehicle is hit with an enormous one off sales tax. "You want to run that things on the road, you have to pay a big tax hit as part of your social responsbility". This is NOT VAT. As to the affordability of the vehicle, well to put it in perspective, according to the European Union statistics unit (http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=nama_gdp_c&lang=en) the GDP for the 15 main EU countries was on average in 2009, 27,500 EUR (in France it is 29,600 EUR, Italy 25,200, Germany 29,300 and UK equivalent 25,300). So 7,950EUR is a great price for a new car. Cheers.
Berlusconi’s outrage is well founded - after all, a theft is depicted :-)
Anyone else really want a Renault now?
An unbelievably stupid car commercial. Hot and sexy? You bet! Nothing to do with the damn car though. Twingo? What - it has absolutely nothing to say about itself as a vehicle worth buying? Stupid. Radically stupid.