Microsoft Poland whitens a black face in its advert

Microsoft has issued an apology after editing out a black man from an advertisement run in Poland.
Microsoft described the incident as a "marketing site photo mistake"

The ad featured on the US website of the US software giant featured a white woman, a black man and an Asian man sitting around a conference table.

The same photo was used by Microsoft for an ad run Poland but the black man had been edited out of the image and replaced with a white man.

Microsoft, in a message on its official Twitter feed, described it as a "marketing site photo mistake" and issued its "sincere apologies."

"We're in the process of taking down the image," the Redmond, Washington-based company said.

says it all, doesn't it?

Not really, marketing is about target audiences, since in Poland 99% of the male population is white, why shouldnt they protray a white man, rather than a black man?

Im sure in African countries they protray black men in ad campaigns and not white men - is that racist?

Have you ever seen a Japanese ad with a black man in it?

???
I have personally known many Polish women in very high managerial positions. Unless things have drastically changed since 2005 (when I left Poland) it seems you're either trolling, or talking through your hat ;-p

I would say the opposite.Men in Poland are usually on their knees licking women.

No, it is an opinion by definition. My position is vindicated.


No, that is not my opinion. Do show me where I have expressed that opinion.

In my opinion however, what is a problem is the way in which some posters on this forum:

a. vilify and taunt female forum members;
b. make unsavoury and sexualised comments regarding female family members of male posters on this forum;
c. threaten physical violence on other forum members.

Do you share my opinion that this is a problem?


Do show me where I have racially abused the English. You can't, can you, because "English" is not a race.


Is this the exchange that you refer to...



I cannot reconcile the above post where you seek to offer me assistance with the sentiments expressed below (I've taken the liberty of italicising the phrase in question)...

Ozi Dan:
Gotta laugh at you mate - there's nothing more fake or absurd than internet bravado from a non entity who has been thoroughly trounced, ridiculed, mocked and ousted to the nether regions of unimportance and hypocrisy.

And your riposte...

You really think that I’d waste the energy needed to give you a slap? You’re not even close to being worth that. I wouldn’t even cross the road to p*ss in your mouth if your teeth were on fire.


How has anything 'struck home' when all I did was point out the fact that you misconceived the proper use of the word "repeated" by failing to add the suffix "ly" and I assisted you by pointing that out.

I've freely admitted that I've never been to Poland, so all you're doing is embarassing yourself further with these types of comments. When I do come however I'll be sure to pick up some of your tourist flyers on my travails. You do still churn them out don't you?


I don't watch the cricket. Am I now meant to think you're cool and approachable because we're both Aussies and you watch the cricket and that will open a common dialogue between us?

Harry May 19, 08, 18:15 #207

Here’s the rub for you ‘Ozi’ I hold an Australian passport but unlike you I choose not to remain in a nation which suppresses the indigenous people. You however remain in a racist nation. So you tell me: who’s the bigot?

Here's the rub for you Harry - if Poland is so full of racists, why do you stay there if you left Australia for the same reasons. So you tell me: who's the hypocrite?

You may be and have many things Harry, but a good memory ain't one of them.

Here are some more flubs besides Microsoft's:

abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=8425991

The comments by some people says it all.
Regarding if blacks and Africans use white people in there Advert.
Its simple YES.
Do your research before posting rubbish.
Most people in your country are basically racists against anybody who doesn't LOOK like them

Who exactly gave you the right to this pretentious name: Afropolak?
Were you born here?
Were you schooled here?
Know the culture, the language?


Yeah right!
I visited a couple of African countries, where the whitey is portrayed as the second one to Lucifer himself. Including South Africa where the black politicians make statements that sex with a white virgin cures aids….

Let me help you understand something. Obama is no more a "black" president than he is a "white" president. Would you mind explaining to the class where your bias originates from?

Are you a white idiot or a black engaging in subtle racism yourself? Maybe you are having a "Tiger Woods" moment. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

You Poles are going to learn a lot from me....


Maybe they are indifferent to people who are NOT them?

As noted several times (and each time ignored by you - because you simply can not reply to the point), by your logic it would be perfectly acceptable to refer to people from Pakistan as "Pakis". Of course to you it is no doubt perfectly acceptable to you for them to be so referred but that is because you are a racist; a fact demonstrated by your constant racial abuse. However, I will be more than happy to hold your coat while you prove that the word is not racist by saying "Excuse me Officer Paki" to a British policeman.


Then perhaps you could leave it to those of us who actually have been here and do live here to describe how things are here?


Never have and most probably never will (although of course I will if the money is right, writing is simply work to me). However, my latest book is doing quite well on Amazon, do feel free to pick up a copy. It was a commission job, so you don't have to worry about me getting royalties from your purchase.


Two words: Polish girls. Unfortunately you have no idea what I'm talking about, because you've never been here. And then there's also the fact that Poland has far less of a problem with racism than Australia does. A problem evidenced by the UN yesterday issuing a report condemning "entrenched" racism in Australia and the Australian government repeatedly breaching international obligations on human and indigenous rights. And a problem also evidenced by the fact that many Australians, including yourself, consider racial abuse to be perfectly acceptable.

It isn't offensive to Polish women, just to Polish men. Polish men do NOT like Africans. Main reason? The Africans and Arabs that come to Poland usually become drug traffickers, and other assorted criminal types. When I was in Italy, the Africans just sat on the streets somewhere. I asked one of them for directions, and he said, "DON'T SPEAK TO ME. I DON'T LIKE YOU ******* WHITE PEOPLE!"

They change the black person but they didn't change the Asian on the left. Racism?

I guess they use only white faces or their advertisements in Africa.

they have been doing this in ads with minorities for ages here in america...the latest flap was a L'Oreal ad where they had lightened Beyonce's skin so much she looked almost white.

This entire thread is a ridiculous PC joke.

This coin also has a flip side which says, why does it have to be a black person in the advert, and can't be a white person? Are some of you here racist against whites?

There are not many black people in Poland, therefore marketing tries to target the (white) population they can identify with. That is all there is.

You can all take your politically correct BS elsewhere. Companies and people in marketing have minds, and can think for themselves, and don't need trends, and what is politically correct or not, to make decisions/make up their minds for what will sell their product best.

You say it is "racist" boo hoo / I say it is smart marketing. Bunch of poofs some of you are.

Lol, don't you know, you owe them because they can't get off their a.sses and help themselves. It's our fault.

sh1t, who would have thunk that under k-rudd australia would fall deeper into racism than lil johnny howard.

King Sobieski
Talking about racism: remember Bjelke-Petersen in Qld?

The whole point was that the original photo contained a gentleman with a coloured skin and they changed it with Photoshop to a gentleman with a white skin. They did this because otherwise they wouldn't sell in Poland. What does this say? The Poles don't like black ppl and leave no opportunity to say so openly and publicly. On the other hand, if you say something about the Poles or Poland...:S

M-G (mentioned this ocurrance in an earlier post)

No. That is what you would like it to say.

What it actually says is that white people identify themselves better with white people, and it is smart marketing.

I guess though for some this concept is a little difficult to grasp.

Reminds me about a campaign some years back by "smart" marketers in Germany too...I forgot the product but they put as background a "typical german family": A white mother, a black father and a mixed kid..

(Probably pointing out how a modern, fashionable, hip family has to look like - fitting to the "cool" product)

Wasn't very successful either btw. and did only run very short.

And thank God we have you to enlighten us on this one.

White ppl do identify themselves more with white ppl than with coloured ppl, true. But then why didn't they change it for the rest of the world? Why only for PL?

Actually, I work for this company and via a friend in Redmond who works for the marketing dept, I know the reason exactly why they did it, but it will be interesting to know what the good ppl here at PF think is the explanation.

M-G (back at work again)

I've read it was just a gaffe, nothing to "please" Poland especially...they apologized already.

Perhaps the other nations that you speak of have higher numbers of blacks in them. That would only seem logical.

White people prefering to look at an advertisement with a white face on it is not racist.

If white people prefered to look at an advertisement with a black face on it instead, I would consider that strange. But in todays typical "western" type of thinking, with increasingly politically correct views, where people make up their mind going by what is considered PC and what's not, I am probably going to get labeled a racist for even having such an opinion.

No. It wasn't. Wrong explanation. Try again for the
grand prize :)


Explain to me: does the functionality of the product change once the colour of the person that sells it, changes?

As you may or may not know, they use generic pictures for adverts like this. You can buy those pics on DVD's and they cost a fortune, but they are all cleared and free to use wherever you like and want. These pictures typically contain examples of all human variations, from chinese to white, from black to purple or green. They do this in order to adhere to the UN laws concerning equal rights for everybody. And wtf is wrong with Poland that they don't accept a coloured person on a generic photo for a product a company wants to sell?

I fully understand the concept of whites being more able to identify themselves with whites, however, a product is a product and it really shouldn't matter which generic picture is used to sell the cr*p. Only in Poland apparently it is. What is wrong with this country?

M-G (hates racism - it's so stupid)

Darn! ...waits for insider news...


Well...that's it how advertising works all over the world...they try to make a product interesting for a special audience - called "TARGET AUDIENCE".

If a product is for a young woman you (normally) don't advertise with an old man and vice versa.

You know that already, don't you... They don't advertise skin-whiteners in Europe with a black person or sun-tanners in Africa and Asia with a white person...

If there is anyone here who actually knows ?

But I reckon a Company the size and wealth of Microsoft and them wanting to retain their ridiculous near monopolistic control over the PC <PC meaning personal computer> software market , that it is has been a very carefully thought out and controlled piece of marketing.

They would know full well the reactions, from across the World if they released such marketing pictures and they know full well that they would get a lot of free publicity about the product they were trying to shift. Controversy always gets the publics attention and what a way to launch something.

It has nothing to do with someone making an error in the Microsoft world <as if > you 'd have to be pretty naive to think that would be the situation.

:)

The last bit comes close, but still: <rrrringggg> wrong answer. Like Bratwurst: try again for the prize.

M-G (would be a good quizmaster)

I'm just saying what they said someone had said...

Oh yes, MS makes mistakes: Windows ME and Vista were cr*p; MS's answer to Flash wasn't successful and I am personally not so convinced of that HomeServer thingie they have launched last year. But that's just me.

M-G (Windows7, on the other hand, is great)