It may have been in bad taste, but there's no evidence of negative results.
With the COVID-19 crisis still affecting the globe, many companies have stepped up to help in various ways, especially those related to manufacturing. As we all know by now, Italy was hit especially hard by the virus and brands like Lamborghini and Ferrari are amongst those companies that have committed to supporting the public. Lamborghini is producing masks and face shields, and similarly Ferrari has helped developed a part for respirators. However, Ferrari’s use of their logo (and their public promotion of the part) has drawn criticism.
Some people feel that broadcasting your good deeds renders them moot. This is not an uncommon sentiment, but is their a difference between an individual and a business acting in this manner? It is surely not surprising for a company to take advantage of publicity. Plus it seems reasonable that a business should take pride in their work, does it not? Well the concern expressed here is that the distasteful pride of Ferrari may lead speculators and collectors to try and snatch these important parts from the market.
Of course, there is no evidence of this happening. When Ferrari first shared the news of its respirators, some laughed about a limited edition or carbon fiber version coming out and costing more. But this was clearly a joke. What is unclear is whether or not this user was joking he posted a thread, saying “speculators are snatching them up.” Well some users took the post serious enough to bash Ferrari and the supposed ‘speculators’. But I wasn’t so sure that this was a real issue, so I decided to respond and ask if this was all a joke.
There is still no evidence, but also no claim of a joke. If anything, the thread died, which might say enough about the situation. Without evidence, it appears that this criticism of Ferrari is unfounded. Sure, it might be distasteful for them to have placed their logo on a much needed medical during a pandemic, but it doesn’t seem to have helped medical professionals any less.
Ultimately, the part is a small piece of a respirator, so a collector would have to hoard entire medical devices and/or disassemble them and render the respirator useless. Of course this is illegal and repugnant. It is also not happening anywhere we are aware of. So this situation is most-likely a good ol’ case of internet outrage, fake news, and probably a joke. So here’s the proper response: LOL.
