How primitive energy went viral from Asia to Africa
How a Korean Air ad got tons of people around the world upset.
- Korean Air's marketing department was seriously pushing the airline's website. On every other website I visited from Tokyo (where I live these days), a Korean Air banner popped-up. I clicked on the banner at some stage and saw the airline offered flights to Kenya. Honestly, I was somewhat amazed that an airline from this part of the world started offering flights to East Africa. As a bit of an aviation buff, I know it's quite a long stretch and I wasn't sure of the economics behind it. So, just out of curiosity I read their ad, which has since been pulled and tweeted the now infamous line.
Hilarious @KoreanAir_KE commercial promoting flights to Nairobi, Kenya. "indigenous people full of primitive energy" http://pic.twitter.com/hFIX799R- I thought it should be retweeted at some stage (this doesn't happen to me everyday). It took an hour or so, but then the Voice of America's Seoul bureau chief Steve Herman (@W7VOA) hit the RT button. Within minutes of his RT, at least 10 others decided to retweet.By the time Monday morning had started in East Africa, Kenyans woke up as the RTs increased. All hell broke loose.Some people laughed.
- Others wanted an apology, also from yours truly.
(obviously, I meant "hilariously stupid", a tiny number of people failed to understand.. *sigh* poor souls) 
So @KoreanAir_KE has decided to apologize but to only @WvanCleef i think he should write one big one for Us.- @WvanCleef @KoreanAir_KE As av told him. He needs to review before sending such. Let him apologize to Kenyans as one.
@WvanCleef @KoreanAir_KE That's not hilarious, it is insulting, illiterate & clearly written by someone who has never left Korean borders.- Meanwhile, Kenyan tweeters were all over the twittersphere, thanks in particular to #KOT
@wvancleef Many people have mentioned this promo by @koreanair_ke on #KOT I've read it in full I cant help but LOL....cultures at crossroads- In Kenya, #PrimitiveEnergy must have been trending on Monday 18 June
- After hours of tweets and well over 100 RTs @KoreanAir_KE came with an apology to me and the twitter community
@WvanCleef Regarding our recent notice of Nairobi, we are checking on this issue accordingly.We sincerely apologize for this situation.
@KoreanAir_KE Thanks for your message. There's no need to apologize to me personally, but many people seem quite angry indeed...- The only Korean-born guy I know personally (who happens to visit Kenya quite often!) was less cool about the whole episode :-)
@MorlyFrishman, all I know is that thanks to @WvanCleef, I will always have to lie to my Kenyan friends about which country I was born in.- While the last Kenyan guy I met in person (sometime ago in Amsterdam) was cracking jokes all along
- Still, @musyoka had the best idea of the day!
- @smusyoka, it was @wvancleef who brought you the news about these ideas some Koreans have. I would follow him just to keep an eye out.
- LOL, I'll drop by if @KoreanAir_KE throws in a free flight! #Tusker "@smusyoka @JinHoV @wvancleef hehehe, tell him Kenyans owe him a round!"
