Yellow Pages billboard guilty of bibimbap blunder in Toronto
Korean dish bibimbap translates into 'mixed rice'
An advertising campaign from Yellow Pages has become a gastronomic gaffe in Toronto.
A photo of an ad board at the Bathurst subway station promoting the Yellow Pages phone app reads, "Find out if Bi Bim Bap tastes as fun as it sounds."
It includes an image of a bowl of noodles. However, bibimbap is a Korean dish made with rice. The term translates, quite literally, into "mixed rice."
"That's not bibimbap, those are noodles," said someone on Twitter in July. Canada's Yellow Pages account called it a "whoops for us."
<a href="https://twitter.com/edwaan">@edwaan</a> Yes, whoops for us, definitely a rice dish. But you should try the Japchae ;)
—@YellowPages_caA Facebook post also criticized the seeming failure to target ethnic communities.
"If you are going to run ads that are catered to a specific ethnicity or neighbourhood, please double check that they are accurate and relevant before going to the printers," wrote Adela Kang.
"Think about having the copy about the best pasta in town and the icon is pizza. It's that weird."
'Slipped through QA'
A representative from Yellow Pages told CBC News that the billboard was one "that slipped through QA," and added that the campaign features "several hundred different pieces of creative."
Other billboards include a multitude of images including a cup of coffee, a business suit and a cellphone.
According to the representative, the ad campaign, dubbed Local Market Attack, has "recently ended" and all billboards are currently being removed.
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