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Controversial VW ad aired during Super Bowl

Volkswagen's controversial Super Bowl commercial that some have called racist because of its use of white actors impersonating Jamaicans ran during the end of the second quarter of the game Sunday night despite calls for the company to cancel the spot.

The commercial was unveiled online nearly a week before the game.

The 60-second spot features a Caucasian man so pleased with his Volkswagen that he speaks with a Jamaican accent as he tries to cheer up others in his office.

But the commercial, which cost the German car maker US$7.6 million dollars to air during Super Bowl, struck some critics as being offensive.

Volkswagen of America said it consulted with 100 Jamaicans and used a dialect coach on-set to ensure that the accents were accurate.

It said every effort was made to ensure that the commercial was not offensive.

Since it was posted to YouTube on January 27, the commercial has been viewed more than 7 million times.



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