Jackson Calls for Boycott of Toyota

The Rev. Jesse Jackson on Monday urged a consumer boycott of Toyota Motor Sales USA for what the civil rights leader described as “offensive marketing materials” that promote the Torrance-based auto company’s RAV4 sport-utility vehicle.

The allegation made during a news conference in Chicago was sparked by a promotional postcard that shows a smiling black man with a likeness of a RAV4 embedded in a bright gold tooth.

Torrance-based Toyota said Monday that it had voluntarily pulled the advertising May 14, before being approached by Jackson’s Rainbow/PUSH Coalition or hearing consumer complaints.

“Toyota and its advertising agency had no intention of offending or creating negative or stereotype imagery, and deeply regret that this promotional item might be seen in such a manner,” said Toyota spokesman Mike Michels.

Jackson said the promotional piece had created “widespread outrage and indignation among African Americans, including employees of Toyota. . . . This is yet another example of supreme stereotypes. Minority consumers cannot and will not be taken for granted.”

Toyota maintained that the postcard, one of three distributed this spring in trendy clubs and coffee houses, was not intended to be offensive. Michels described it as “playing off of tooth art, which like body piercing and tattoos, is gaining popularity” among younger consumers.