Gulf states may boycott the Nissan Motor Company as a result of an Israeli TV commercial that depicts Saudis angered by a fuel-efficient car, a Saudi official has said.
The new campaign by Renault-Nissan caused an uproar in the Gulf when it showed a group of Saudi oil barons screaming and attacking the Renault-Nissan vehicle.
The Saudis are shown leaving a hotel and encountering the new, fuel-efficient vehicle. One man pounds his fists on the car and is then held back by his companions as he shouts at it, "Hawks should peck at you day and night."
At the end of the commercial, the voice-over says, "It's clear the oil companies won't like you."
Click on the play button to watch the clip
"It's my opinion that Nissan made a huge error by igniting these [racist] instincts," official Hani al-Wafa told MBC TV, a Saudi-run station headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. "We need to apply punishments... against these things. In order for Nissan to keep its interests in the region, it must apologize."
Israeli advertising and marketing agency Inbar Merhav Shaked, which developed the Renault-Nissan campaign, declined to comment.
In January, Israel partnered with Project Better Place, a company that aims to reduce petroleum dependency through the use of electric cars.
Through the government initiative, Israel hopes to mass-market electric vehicles by 2011. Denmark is also investing in electric cars at a national level.
Project Better Place partnered with Renault-Nissan to provide the electric vehicles featured in the new commercial.
"It's a humorous campaign that was loved by both the Jewish and Arab worlds," Daniella Ribenbach, the spokeswoman for Nissan in Israel, told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday. She declined to make any further comments on the matter.
Hadar Goldman, co-owner of the Zarmon Goldman advertising agency in Tel Aviv, said he hoped Saudis would tolerate humorous and exaggerated commercials.
"If we have a sense of humor, I expect them to have one as well," he said.
Nissan's electric vehicle, introduced on Wednesday, is set to go on the market in Japan and the United States in 2010, and globally by 2012.
The car was designed to provide more power than hybrid models, and emits zero emissions.
During test runs, the car was quiet and produced no engine noise - a trademark of electric vehicles. Details such as cruising range have yet to be determined, Nissan officials said.
Having fallen behind rivals Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. in hybrids, Nissan has made the electric vehicle the pillar of its green strategy.
AP contributed to this report.
Showing posts with label oil prices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oil prices. Show all posts
07 August 2008
09 July 2008
Idea Watch: 50 Things Being Blamed on Rising Oil Prices
Idea Watch: 50 Things Being Blamed on Rising Oil Prices
Posted by Tom Weber
Got a problem? Blame oil.
If you’re searching for a defining theme to 2008 this holiday weekend–perhaps while filling up at the pump–look no further than the soaring price of oil. Every day, the impact of high oil prices pervades the news, and that news is usually bad. Oil, with no small measure of justification, is the all-purpose fall guy of the moment.
There are the familiar casualties, of course, from the airline industry to auto makers. But here at Buzzwatch, where we track prevalent ideas and themes, we’ve noticed how many oil-victim stories go beyond the usual suspects. Many fall at the local level: the local kids’ athletic group cutting back on travel, for instance, or the municipal government paying more for road salt.
For a sense of how deeply the oil-price story is woven into the fabric of life in 2008, Buzzwatch compiled a list of 50 things being attributed, at least in part, to high fuel costs. Not all the news is bad, and our list is by no means comprehensive. (Indeed, additional submissions are welcome. Add to our list in the comments or email us at buzzwatch@wsj.com.) Buzzwatch doesn’t venture an opinion whether the blame is fair or accurate in the items on our list. We only note when oil is cited as a factor.
Here’s our list of 50 things being blamed on rising fuel costs:
1. Tires are 5% to 10% more expensive. (USA Today)
2. Some schools may cut back on field trips. (News & Observer, North Carolina)
3. Some schools are considering route changes that would create longer walks to the bus stop, raising safety concerns. (The Gazette, Maryland)
4. Robot aircraft look even more attractive to the military. (Department of Defense/American Forces Press Service)
5. Workers who use their cars on the job are getting a better break from the IRS. (Baltimore Sun)
6. United Airlines will furlough about 950 pilots. (WSJ)
7. Pizza delivery charges are rising. (Pacific Business News)
8. Kangaroo harvesters are seeking alternative careers. (Australian Broadcasting Corp.)
9. Chartering a fishing boat is getting pricier. (AP)
10. Learning to drive? Plan on paying a surcharge. (Petoskey News-Review)
11. Squid fishermen are angry. (AFP)
12. Gas theft is on the rise in California’s San Joaquin Valley. (Fresno Bee)
13. Youth softball teams are cutting back on travel to tournaments. (WHSV-TV)
14. The price of road salt for next winter’s storms is rising. (Peoria Journal Star)
15. Community colleges are cutting Friday classes. (USA Today)
16. If you get caught speeding in Holly Springs, Ga., the ticket will cost you $12 more. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
17. School lunch prices are going up. (MSNBC)
18. NASCAR teams are spending more–and fretting about whether crowds will avoid traveling to races. (Sacramento Bee)
19. Golf-cart regulation becomes a subject of debate in Indiana. (UPI)
20. College football fans are rethinking their plans to travel to watch their favorite teams. (Topeka Capital-Journal)
21. Elgin, Ill., is getting a new wind-turbine parts plant. (Chicago Tribune)
22. Bacon and ham could get more expensive. (WSJ)
23. Some U.S. cities could lose their commercial airline service. (New York Times)
24. Dallas-area residents are paying more to get rid of their garbage. (WFAA-TV)
25. Air travelers get charged to check their bags. (New York Times)
26. Demand for certain types of planes is growing. (Financial Post)
27. Railroads see a growth opportunity. (WSJ)
28. Demand for wine is weakening. (Portland Business Journal)
29. Commuters are changing their ways. (Chicago Tribune)
30. We’re not seeing our family and friends as much, at least according to one poll. (Business Wire via MarketWatch)
31. U.S. federal researchers cut back on ocean-going trips to study climate change. (AP)
32. One Virginia library mulls bringing back the bookmobile. (Daily Times, Maryland)
33. Gas rage. (Orange County Register)
34. Japan girds for a sashimi shortage. (AFP)
35. Some police departments put officers on foot. (USA Today)
36. A Montana high school basketball conference scraps its annual tournament in favor of playoffs. (AP via Missoulian, Montana)
37. Driver who have their cars confiscated in Philadelphia pay $15 more for towing fee. (KYW-TV)
38. Yes, we have no cheap bananas today. (WSJ)
39. Sending a bouquet of flowers costs more. (Press-Enterprise, California)
40. Volunteer fire departments want more donations. (KSWO-TV)
41. Churches around Bowling Green, Ky., are seeing more requests for assistance, reduced collections and lower attendance for some services. (Daily News, Kentucky)
42. Home health care services raise the minimum time for a visit. (Rapid City Journal, South Dakota)
43. The French navy decided to cancel some exercises. (AP)
44. Students at Texas Tech University must endure longer waits for campus buses. (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Texas)
45. Truckers struck in Chile, causing shortages of food. (Bloomberg)
46. More people in Boston are riding the “T.” (WCVB-TV)
47. A company offers gas-price hedging for consumers. (AutoWeek)
48. Sugar futures are up. (MarketWatch)
49. Meals on Wheels programs are losing volunteers. (AP via Boston Globe)
50. Indie music fans are out of luck due to some bands canceling tours and staying home. (AP)
(Getty Images/Sami Sarkis)
Permalink Trackback URL: http://blogs.wsj.com/buzzwatch/2008/07/03/idea-watch-50-things-being-blamed-on-rising-oil-prices/trackback/
Posted by Tom Weber
Got a problem? Blame oil.
If you’re searching for a defining theme to 2008 this holiday weekend–perhaps while filling up at the pump–look no further than the soaring price of oil. Every day, the impact of high oil prices pervades the news, and that news is usually bad. Oil, with no small measure of justification, is the all-purpose fall guy of the moment.
There are the familiar casualties, of course, from the airline industry to auto makers. But here at Buzzwatch, where we track prevalent ideas and themes, we’ve noticed how many oil-victim stories go beyond the usual suspects. Many fall at the local level: the local kids’ athletic group cutting back on travel, for instance, or the municipal government paying more for road salt.
For a sense of how deeply the oil-price story is woven into the fabric of life in 2008, Buzzwatch compiled a list of 50 things being attributed, at least in part, to high fuel costs. Not all the news is bad, and our list is by no means comprehensive. (Indeed, additional submissions are welcome. Add to our list in the comments or email us at buzzwatch@wsj.com.) Buzzwatch doesn’t venture an opinion whether the blame is fair or accurate in the items on our list. We only note when oil is cited as a factor.
Here’s our list of 50 things being blamed on rising fuel costs:
1. Tires are 5% to 10% more expensive. (USA Today)
2. Some schools may cut back on field trips. (News & Observer, North Carolina)
3. Some schools are considering route changes that would create longer walks to the bus stop, raising safety concerns. (The Gazette, Maryland)
4. Robot aircraft look even more attractive to the military. (Department of Defense/American Forces Press Service)
5. Workers who use their cars on the job are getting a better break from the IRS. (Baltimore Sun)
6. United Airlines will furlough about 950 pilots. (WSJ)
7. Pizza delivery charges are rising. (Pacific Business News)
8. Kangaroo harvesters are seeking alternative careers. (Australian Broadcasting Corp.)
9. Chartering a fishing boat is getting pricier. (AP)
10. Learning to drive? Plan on paying a surcharge. (Petoskey News-Review)
11. Squid fishermen are angry. (AFP)
12. Gas theft is on the rise in California’s San Joaquin Valley. (Fresno Bee)
13. Youth softball teams are cutting back on travel to tournaments. (WHSV-TV)
14. The price of road salt for next winter’s storms is rising. (Peoria Journal Star)
15. Community colleges are cutting Friday classes. (USA Today)
16. If you get caught speeding in Holly Springs, Ga., the ticket will cost you $12 more. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
17. School lunch prices are going up. (MSNBC)
18. NASCAR teams are spending more–and fretting about whether crowds will avoid traveling to races. (Sacramento Bee)
19. Golf-cart regulation becomes a subject of debate in Indiana. (UPI)
20. College football fans are rethinking their plans to travel to watch their favorite teams. (Topeka Capital-Journal)
21. Elgin, Ill., is getting a new wind-turbine parts plant. (Chicago Tribune)
22. Bacon and ham could get more expensive. (WSJ)
23. Some U.S. cities could lose their commercial airline service. (New York Times)
24. Dallas-area residents are paying more to get rid of their garbage. (WFAA-TV)
25. Air travelers get charged to check their bags. (New York Times)
26. Demand for certain types of planes is growing. (Financial Post)
27. Railroads see a growth opportunity. (WSJ)
28. Demand for wine is weakening. (Portland Business Journal)
29. Commuters are changing their ways. (Chicago Tribune)
30. We’re not seeing our family and friends as much, at least according to one poll. (Business Wire via MarketWatch)
31. U.S. federal researchers cut back on ocean-going trips to study climate change. (AP)
32. One Virginia library mulls bringing back the bookmobile. (Daily Times, Maryland)
33. Gas rage. (Orange County Register)
34. Japan girds for a sashimi shortage. (AFP)
35. Some police departments put officers on foot. (USA Today)
36. A Montana high school basketball conference scraps its annual tournament in favor of playoffs. (AP via Missoulian, Montana)
37. Driver who have their cars confiscated in Philadelphia pay $15 more for towing fee. (KYW-TV)
38. Yes, we have no cheap bananas today. (WSJ)
39. Sending a bouquet of flowers costs more. (Press-Enterprise, California)
40. Volunteer fire departments want more donations. (KSWO-TV)
41. Churches around Bowling Green, Ky., are seeing more requests for assistance, reduced collections and lower attendance for some services. (Daily News, Kentucky)
42. Home health care services raise the minimum time for a visit. (Rapid City Journal, South Dakota)
43. The French navy decided to cancel some exercises. (AP)
44. Students at Texas Tech University must endure longer waits for campus buses. (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Texas)
45. Truckers struck in Chile, causing shortages of food. (Bloomberg)
46. More people in Boston are riding the “T.” (WCVB-TV)
47. A company offers gas-price hedging for consumers. (AutoWeek)
48. Sugar futures are up. (MarketWatch)
49. Meals on Wheels programs are losing volunteers. (AP via Boston Globe)
50. Indie music fans are out of luck due to some bands canceling tours and staying home. (AP)
(Getty Images/Sami Sarkis)
Permalink Trackback URL: http://blogs.wsj.com/buzzwatch/2008/07/03/idea-watch-50-things-being-blamed-on-rising-oil-prices/trackback/
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