To think using Mafia tropes to advertise pizza or insurance is a bit dodgy..

[WeWantSweet]

Eg, Goodfellas pizza or Direct Line's Winston Wolf. The Mafia is a criminal organisation.

I wonder if Direct Line had to pay Tarantino to use the Winston Wolf character. (I don't think Winston is meant to be mafia but I could be wrong.)

The Mafia is a criminal organisation

Getaway! Is that a fact?

PS. Overthinking but if in doubt call 101.

It just struck me as somewhat anomalous. Would it be fine for Chinese manufacturers/food outlets to use Triad memes to advertise their wares?

And where do you stand on pirates?

Are pirates being used to advertise food or insurance and I don't think Captain Birdseye counts, lol.

I LOVE the Direct Line ad and find Winston Wolf ver ver sexy

Does this actually bother you?
Really?

The Captain Morgan ads I can't get my head around, seeing what he did in Jamaica but Mafia? Nah.

Would it be fine for Chinese manufacturers/food outlets to use Triad memes to advertise their wares?
Or Adolf adoring Aldi?
I can't get over De Niro standing outside Bolton Station in the Warbies' advert but I won't be losing sleep.
Really some people live their lives looking for things about which to be offended or upset, lighten up folks, you're a long time dead!

I recently went to a wedding in Sicily. Good friend married a Sicilian. Friend’s dad (a bit of a character) originally had lots of mafia jokes in his speech, until the groom explained that the mafia is just not a laughing matter in Sicily. It affects everyone and laughing about it would be like joking about murder in the Uk...the father of the bride still sneaked in one or two godfather references into the speech and was met with stony silence from the Italian guests...awkward!

Thanks Emidi, for that perspective. It doesn't always play well in Italy then. I'm not going to lose sleep over it obvs, but I have wondered why it's seemingly ok for advertisers to use Mafia tropes as if they were cuddly baddies when there would be outrage if it was eg. the Triads or Yardies. Has anyone used The Krays to advertise products and would that be acceptable?

As an Italian I'm perfectly fine with mafia jokes in England/car insurance/dominoes, but yeah I definetely wouldn't make one in Italy!

Camomila thanks for response, the whole, (outside of Italy), Mafia = opera loving cuddly baddies, I still think is definitely an anomaly. But it seems I'm on my own with this, lol.

No you aren’t on your own, I agree
I get that some adverts are just taking the P out of stereotypes but too often the Mafia are portrayed as honourable men who just dabble in a bit of crime while never hurting women or children, which I’m sure is absolute bull.

Captain Birdseye and I are TIGHT

No, it is weird how we just treat the Mafia like we wouldn't other organised crime

Tbf we treat pirates like they are cuddly rogues and RL modern pirates are pretty dodgy.

Omg.

Thanks for replies, I just think it's one of those things we seem to accept without question, (until someone does).

Yes, I imagine Pirates were and still are pretty awful.
And look nothing like Johnny Depp

Winston wolf doesn’t have anything to do with the mafia. And the goodfellas pizza is just playing on a pun due the film with the same name.

I really can’t believe anyone is bothered about this 😂

@WeWantSweet I'd never really thought about it before but you make a good point.