Singapore — After the fatal crash at Tanjong Pagar over Chinese New Year, netizens were quick to point out the words had changed in the advertisement for the new BMW 4 Series Coupé.
BMW-SG – You should change the advertisement.. from r/singapore
The advertisement was brought up in a Reddit post.
Netizens were quick to point out how the words in the original advertisement painted a scenario that seemed eerily similar to what happened on Saturday (Feb 13) when a white BMW M4 Coupe speeding along Tanjong Pagar Road skidded and crashed into a shophouse before bursting into flames.
The original ad read: Sympathy for the rebel, Can’t stop, Play with fire, Chasing new levels. The online community commented what a coincidence it was that the ad seemed so similar to what happened. Even the car involved was of the same brand.
The ad campaign for this new car series started in late 2020, with the car being released in Singapore in November 2020, only months before the accident.
After the accident, the company has changed the words in the advertisement to something more sensitive. Netizens spotted the change in the tagline on Tuesday (Feb 16). However, till Monday (Feb 15), the original ad was still showing.
The new ad (above) retains the same images, but modified the taglines such that they do not hold any similarity to the accident which happened. Netizens presume that this change in wording was due to the accident.
Denise Teh is an intern at The Independent SG. /TISG