Controversial advertisements are always a gamble; you're never really sure how they will be received as controversy rests upon divided public opinion. WeBuyCars tried their hand at one, but the polarising reviews following its YouTube release on Tuesday, 23 June led the brand to issue a media statement clarifying that no mockery was intended in its making.
The ad poked fun at the refugee resettlement programme implemented in February last year by President Trump whereby Afrikaner South Africans were granted asylum in the United States. The recent FIFA World Cup acted as grounding for the ad with WeBuyCars arguing that the objective was to create something that celebrates the sport as a thing that brings South Africans together.
Via YouTube
The refugee resettlement programme has been part and parcel to South African conversations since its conception, WeBuyCars just jumped in and joined it — however, the etiquette of how this was done is what is being called into question.
Many, such as prominent commentator and Member of Parliament, Renaldo Gouws, believe the ad crossed a line by making light of a sensitive issue, stating that there is a fine line between cheeky advertising and pure mockery of South African citizens.
Critics on the other side of this debate, such as Citizen Columnist, Richard Chemaly, believe that South Africa's creative space should not be suppressed simply because audiences are offended. He argues that satire and social commentary have long formed part of the country's advertising world, referencing ads like "Dit bly polony" in an effort to prove his point.
Via YouTube
While some have called the brand out for mockery of refugees, others claim that creative freedom is at stake if we enforce control of what creatives can and cannot joke about. This divisiveness surrounding the ad inadvertently raises questions about the role of brand publicity in cultural and political conversations.
Yet, advertising has long drawn on South African stereotypes, shared experiences and current events to capture attention with very little being off the table — Nandos' ads being a prime example.
This is also not the first time WeBuyCars engaged with this type of topical advertising. Just last year they won the Creative Visionary Award at the 2025 YouTube Works Awards South Africa for the "Rev-Jou-Jeep Status" ad which also cheekily referenced the refugee resettlement programme.
Via YouTube
So, is WeBuyCars' reputation really on the line, or have they just rocked the boat hard enough to get close to yet another award? Whether audiences view the ad as bold or insensitive, it did achieve what most brands set out to do: capture attention and get people talking.
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*Image courtesy of Facebook and Canva
**Information sourced from BusinessTech, Citizen and Bizcommunity