Is this ad racist?

BRILLIANT!!

 

Ah, the joy of advertising. I work in the magazine business now and it's a constant thorn in my side. All it takes is a few people to complain to the right people.

 

Most likely it could have been avoided if they'd had a black person look at the ad before they sent it out.

 

The ad had a 1984 vibe that creeped me out more then the race of the subservient class.

 

Perhaps. We've had ads that many of our female staff members didn't find offensive at all and then gotten complaints once it runs. Forgetting this particular ad, there's an awful lot of gray about what's offensive.

 

Black guys bowing down to a white guy, yeah I could see where some asswipe would call it racist.
I don't think it was intended to be that way.
Let's get Al Sharpton and Jesee Jackson to weigh in on this one.

 

Seriously, how can people not see this as racist?

You've got the white guy as boss, black guys as sprinters and they're in a photoshopped position to look as if they are bowing down to the white guy.

You can't say that they are in some kind of natural race postition because they would be running into each other.

I don't think it was intentional, but it's certainly stupid and insensitive and probably at least subconsciously racist.

You know these ad people put great stock into looking at the images and trying to get people to see what they want?

You think they just slapped some sprinters on there and no one thought to look at them to see what image it presented? Think its a coincidence that the runners are in black/yellow to look like busy little bees?

 

Offensive on so many levels. Are they saying caucasians aren't good enough to be track sprinters as well?

 

As someone who typically scoffs at all the racism claims thrown around I'm gonna have to say that I couldn't blame someone for taking that ad the wrong way. I honestly could not tell they were sprinters. It looks like a bunch of black guys bowing down to their white master. They should have had them lined up on starting blocks behind him. Decent idea, awful execution.

 

Offensive? Hmmm... don't know but it sure as hell is one bad print ad.

I mean BRUTALLY BAD.

David Ogilvy just rolled over in his grave.

 

All the subliminal stuff is there Ace. Your points are well taken. If some ass-jack went through the trouble to think this out the way you call it, then yes, the ad is racist.

 

It's a bad ad. The sprinters do look like they are bowing down and the self-satisfied look on the face of the honky middle manager doesn't help.