Actor Richard Gere stars in a new Italian TV spot for Fiat Group's Lancia. And the Chinese are none to happy about it.
Why?
Well, as you may know, Gere supports Tibetan autonomy, something the Chinese are not fond of. And, on top of that, the spot features Gere driving from Hollywood to Tibet, and prominently features the Tibetan people, and showcases Gere's affection for them.
After reports of the commercial appeared in Chinese newspapers, China was apparently none too happy about it, and Fiat has decided to apologize. To quote the Fiat company spokesman, "Fiat Group extends its apologies to the Government of the People's Republic of China and to the Chinese people."
No word on whether they pulled the ad in Italy.
