The Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW) makes world-class automobiles, motorcycles, things that go vroom vroom, and all that. Thye’ve got Bimmers, Beemers, and the like. BMW also knows, like all of corporate America, that pandering can be good for your Social Credit Score so every June is Rainbows its Logo.
But only in places friendly to the imagery.
BMW’s official corporate account on X said the quiet part out loud when someone dared to ask why the car company’s Middle East-facing logo had not been subjected to the same Pride-Month-rainbow-flag treatment as the logo seen in the United States: it wouldn’t be culturally acceptable there.
Libs of TikTok reminds us that it is not just BMW.
Every. Single. Year. This will never not be funny pic.twitter.com/BVj40itRxs
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 2, 2024
But someone asked BMW why, and it responded.
This is an established practice at the BMW Group, which also takes into consideration market-specific legal regulations and country-specific cultural aspects (4/4)
— BMW (@BMW) June 1, 2024
…”However, as is customary with such communication and marketing activities, it is at the discretion of our sales companies and independent distributors to decide if they wish to join centrally initiated communication and marketing campaigns or not. (3/4)”
In other words, BMW doesn’t want its sales teams in Islamic countries getting beheaded or thrown off a roof.
Very brave.
And we’re not picking gon BMW. The rest of them are likely no less courageous. As in, wow, we really support this thing, and we’re against discrimination, and support you being you but not anywhere that it matters.
