Swensens

[beano2274]

As another poster previously commented on this, I decided to send an email to them explaining the differences in the Flags used for the United Kingdom and England.

I got the following answer, from the General Manager, his name is very English sounding.

Text from Email:

Thank you for your comments regarding the England Flag for our “World of Sundae” promotion.

I am not sure if you live in Thailand but this country is fanatical about football, especially English football. However, most Thai people do not understand the complexities of the United Kingdom and associate the Union Jack with England. To save confusion we therefore decided to use the Union Jack.

I have since sent an email back explaining that all the local superstores and many other businesses are able to use the correct flag, so why can't they.

Edited June 15, 2010 by beano2274

[Kan Win]

Please ask

Mr. William Ellwood Heinecke

The owner himself

Sawadee

[Slip]

^^Or in other words: 'This misrepresentation is a marketing decision- now kindly piss off and let us flog your heritage'

[beano2274]

Wouldn't happen to have his email would you Kan Win?

[tigerfish]

thank you beano 2274 for posting this in the general section. as it seems that it was generally ignored in the football forum.

yes you would have thought that such a large company such as swensens would have done their homework before spending so much money on an advertising campaign

[daveh]

It sucks they are using the wrong flag, but it doesn't sound as though it was malicious, but your response to their reason does. Do you get this upset and write letters to every website that shows the Union Jack to indicate English language? If you do, I highly suggest you do NOT do a Google Image search on English flag.

I suspect they simply made an error when setting up the promotion and now it'd be too expensive to fix and is just not worth it because more than 99% of the people who would see it won't care.

[purplehaze]

To the OP substitute"Thai people don't understand" to English people don't understand in your post,now you can relate to the people of the other home nations that make up the union.

England hijacked the union flag as their's and their's alone for way too long.Only now you cry foul.

[sanook2me]

So funny seeing a Swensens thread and I'm English..

I haven't yet noticed the wrong use of the Union or St.Georges cross flags but i took a photo of the World Cup menu a few weeks ago as the African ice cream dish is called the African Brownie...

I sent it to all my friends and family back home in England to show them how some countries are not so PC and no one cares..

Like to know what the farang sounding marketing manager has to say about African brownies...wouldn't be allowed in the UK.

[tw25rw]

Until about the time of Euro 96 it was normal fo England fans to display union flags instead of St George flags. Not surprising if a lot of people don't get it or see the point of this English nationalist nonsense.

[tigerfish]

Until about the time of Euro 96 it was normal fo England fans to display union flags instead of St George flags. Not surprising if a lot of people don't get it or see the point of this English nationalist nonsense.

whats the harm in being nationalistic and taking some pride in where you come from?

after all arent the other members of the union equally if not more so. some, but maybe not all would be the first to correct anyone who said that they were british. and go as far as to support anyone or team that is playing against against one of their arch enemies, when it comes to some sporting events.

take for example andy murray, wearing an argentina football shirt when england were about to play them in a major competition. what a complete and utter runt of a human being! not only for the fact that he knew it would wind people up because of the history involving the two sides in world cup football. but more importantly for the fact that he didnt take the time to use his brain and think about the about the falklands conflict. were regiments from all over the british isles fought side by side and lost their lives in defeating the argentinian forces.

Edited June 15, 2010 by tigerfish

[beano2274]

To the OP substitute"Thai people don't understand" to English people don't understand in your post,now you can relate to the people of the other home nations that make up the union.

England hijacked the union flag as their's and their's alone for way too long.Only now you cry foul.

The email was from them not me, so how can I subsitute those words?

[Atmos]

at least Honda got it right - no Union Jack on these 'Special Edition England World Cup' scooters

They may not be the fastest sellers . . . unsold maybe discounted soon?

[Gaccha]

Until about the time of Euro 96 it was normal fo England fans to display union flags instead of St George flags. Not surprising if a lot of people don't get it or see the point of this English nationalist nonsense.

whats the harm in being nationalistic and taking some pride in where you come from?

after all arent the other members of the union equally if not more so. some, but maybe not all would be the first to correct anyone who said that they were british. and go as far as to support anyone or team that is playing against against one of their arch enemies, when it comes to some sporting events.

take for example andy murray, wearing an argentina football shirt when england were about to play them in a major competition. what a complete and utter runt of a human being! not only for the fact that he knew it would wind people up because of the history involving the two sides in world cup football. but more importantly for the fact that he didnt take the time to use his brain and think about the about the falklands conflict. were regiments from all over the british isles fought side by side and lost their lives in defeating the argentinian forces.

You answer your own question...

"whats the harm in being nationalistic and taking some pride in where you come from?"

"wind people up"

"think about the about the falklands conflict"

There are not many things that people are prepared to die for, but blind nationalism is one of them.

[SomTumTiger]

What a complete non issue.

[tonywebster]

On the official video for the official song for the World Cup (not the England song) there are people of many nationalities with their faces painted with the countries flags, there is no Cross of St George on there, only the Union Flag (only called a Union jack when it is on a ship)

here is the video, look at 1.30

[tonywebster]

and anyone that thinks flags are not important try walking round in some flip flops with the Thai flag on them

[purplehaze]

Until about the time of Euro 96 it was normal fo England fans to display union flags instead of St George flags. Not surprising if a lot of people don't get it or see the point of this English nationalist nonsense.

whats the harm in being nationalistic and taking some pride in where you come from?

after all arent the other members of the union equally if not more so. some, but maybe not all would be the first to correct anyone who said that they were british. and go as far as to support anyone or team that is playing against against one of their arch enemies, when it comes to some sporting events.

take for example andy murray, wearing an argentina football shirt when england were about to play them in a major competition. what a complete and utter runt of a human being! not only for the fact that he knew it would wind people up because of the history involving the two sides in world cup football. but more importantly for the fact that he didnt take the time to use his brain and think about the about the falklands conflict. were regiments from all over the british isles fought side by side and lost their lives in defeating the argentinian forces.

:whistling:So people in the UK should not wear football shirts from Argentina,Germany, Japan,USA,France,Holland,Russia because we were at war with them at some point in history.

I sure it was a Paraguay shirt Murray was wearing and I'm not 100% sure we were at war with them.Ah sports and politics eh who needs it.

[beano2274]

On the official video for the official song for the World Cup (not the England song) there are people of many nationalities with their faces painted with the countries flags, there is no Cross of St George on there, only the Union Flag (only called a Union jack when it is on a ship)

here is the video, look at 1.30

[/url]

Am sure it is called a Blue Ensign when on a ship. Also the proportions in the flag are different, the Army one is different than the Union Jack, it is therefore called the War Flag. I used to raise it often enough.

[CarlBkk]

Gaccha, you are saying the British were "nationally blind" to defend the Falklands. Regardless of the proximity of an island to other nations, you don't just give in to aggression from the close neighbour. It's a little bit more complicated than that.

I'm quite happy for the Union Jack to be used to represent England or Britain, it's just some Scots, Welsh and N.Irish who seem to resent it so much even when all are so closely linked in ways of life, genes and geography.

[ilyelol]

I hope op realize that even well educated people do not know that england has its own flag and simply do not care, UK is considered being the country since the 4 smaller countries in it are basically the same. The only difference is 2 of them are harder to understand than the other 2..

People still have shaved heads, love football, drink too young and neglect their teeth in all 4 countries.

Its basically like Americans from the south waving their confederate flag.. only for rednecks.

You're all ruled by the same biatch who is now asking for a raise to have more elegant parties

[StreetCowboy]

I'm really sorry that I can't get interested in Swensen's advertising campaigns.

I do find it a bit embarassing, some of the drivel that people spout in the name of nationalism - particularly Scottish nationaists. Its our country ands our bloody empire, you'll be letting the English have the bloody Koh I Noor next!

You have to remember the Scotland has always had a special relationship with Argentina, a relationship steeped in blood and tears, since 1978. Tears, anyway. Maradonna scored his first international goal at Hampden. People see him almost as a god (since he can handle the ball into the English net...). But in fairness, Argentina is Britain's best friend in South America, and I don't think that a minor war over territorial possessions is going to spoil that. If you couldn't put history in the past, where it belongs, we'd still be going on about Calais and Aquitaine and fighting with everyone. So grow up and move on, please.

There's nothing wrong with a bit of good-natured sporting rivalry; there was a humourous email circulated shortly before the previous World Cup (no doubt someone will post it shortly) purporting to be a request from the FA (They're such arrogant effers they don't even say what country they are from) to the other Home Nations suggesting that they lend moral support and assistance to their English compatriots, as the only British team to qualify, and then the responses from the various other FAs.

Wandering a little off-topic, we've got a great pool for the rugby world cup next year, with England, Argentina and Georgia (the English of Eurasia) and one more from Tunisia, Khazakstan, Uruguay or Romania...

Anyway, all the best in South Africa,

SC

[Gaccha]

Gaccha, you are saying the British were "nationally blind" to defend the Falklands. Regardless of the proximity of an island to other nations, you don't just give in to aggression from the close neighbour. It's a little bit more complicated than that.

I'm quite happy for the Union Jack to be used to represent England or Britain, it's just some Scots, Welsh and N.Irish who seem to resent it so much even when all are so closely linked in ways of life, genes and geography.

Yes, it is much more complicated than an issue of geographical proximity.

By saying "British" is to let oneself be governed by a prevailing geopolitical mode of representation and to engage in the continuation of a complex practice. The dominant statist discourse is a mode of reality-making.

The object and general grammar (i.e. "Britain", "invasion") allows a licence to forget the history of struggles in which entities ("Britain", "Argentinia") have come to be domesticated within modern international space. This forgetting is scripted or institutionalised.

The mentality of nationalism is a mentality of accepting the rusting discourse that is the privileging of nation-states.

So, you say "you don't just give in to aggression from the close neighbour. It's a little bit more complicated than that." Note how you use the domesticated grammar of everyday life-- the "close neighbour". it takes away the extraorindary violence, it ignores and places on the backwater the real issues-- these had nothing to do with "aggression". it is a cryptic mode of legitimation. You must question the rhetorics and narrative structures used to describe what happened.

When "Argentinia" moved into the smal islands close to the Falklands "Britain" did nothing. When they moved into the Falklands, Thatcher still intended to allow it to be given over to "argentinia" it was only when she was pushed into war by a long series of parliamentary speeches they used the same rhetoric of naked aggression that you enjoy that it led to the violence of 1982.

The reason that Britain did not hand Flaklands to Argentinia was because of wealthy absentee landlords didn't want it to.

Don't become a consumer of representational practices. Once you realise what you fed on is not authoritative description but just a rhetorical practice then you can better understand my position. Stop thinking of the World in terms of nation-states, and start to ask about the necessity of violence over such petty imagined communities.

[beano2274]

See post below

Edited June 17, 2010 by beano2274

[beano2274]

My thread is about misrepresentation in Advertising not POLITICS.

Please give comments regarding the issue, the topic has a heading to tell you what it is about.

If you wanna start a political thread then please start it somewhere else.

Edited June 17, 2010 by beano2274

[Vertigotogo]

On the official video for the official song for the World Cup (not the England song) there are people of many nationalities with their faces painted with the countries flags, there is no Cross of St George on there, only the Union Flag (only called a Union jack when it is on a ship)

here is the video, look at 1.30

[/url]

Am sure it is called a Blue Ensign when on a ship. Also the proportions in the flag are different, the Army one is different than the Union Jack, it is therefore called the War Flag. I used to raise it often enough.

I'm pretty sure about this but here goes (sticking my head above the parapet again.....)

The Blue Ensign is flown by government ships other than war vessels. (The Red Ensign is carried by British Merchant Navy vessels). The White Ensign is flown on Royal Navy vessels and a very few others (in connection with the Royal Family).

The British Flag is called the 'Union Flag' but it is also called the 'Union Jack' which is believed by many people to have derived from the Royal Navy's use of the term 'Jack' to describe such a flag. As the Royal Navy enjoyed great social acceptance and public support in the 40's and 50's, the use of the term 'Union Jack' became widely used amongst the British public.

The Royal Navy use the term 'Union Jack', to describe the flag talked about in this thread which is flown from the bow of Royal Navy ships when in harbour and the RN maintain that this is the only correct usage of this term. The RN fly the White Ensign from the mainmast or the stern mast (or both).

Gawd, I need to get a real life............

[tonywebster]

yes mike, the ensign is where the union flag is in the corner a solid coloured flag. The union flag by itself on a naval vessel is called the 'union jack', this is my understanding.

[kartman]

My thread is about misrepresentation in Advertising not POLITICS.

Please give comments regarding the issue, the topic has a heading to tell you what it is about.

If you wanna start a political thread then please start it somewhere else.

I think the thread has melted away from that along with the ice cream.

[sanook2me]

Swensens millionaire chocolate at 99baht is the best dish there is...

it comes with truffles and melted chocolate to drip over the 4 scoops.... alllloooooooooiiiiiiiiiiiii tiiii sut...

I mentioned it earlier i think the African Brownie World cup ice-cream takes the biscuit for best name....

[NALAK]

its England competing in the world cup not Great Britain, in the olympics the union jack is used as it is a Great Britain team. not doubt Swensens is an american country and would not understand. i for one would not set foot in the place to so such ignorane. why dont they show even more ignorance and put all the teams from the EU under the EU flag. there reply is an insult to the people of Thailand who are showing the England flag right now not the Union Jack.

[Somtamnication]

Wait till you see the Argentinian flag at Black Canyon, promoting NACHOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!