Is this ad racist?

[Perry White]

Intel has pulled it after complaints: http://blogs.intel.com/views/2007/07/sprinter_ad.html

Intel’s intent of our ad titled “Multiply Computing Performance and Maximize the Power of Your Employees” was to convey the performance capabilities of our processors through the visual metaphor of a sprinter. We have used the visual of sprinters in the past successfully.

Unfortunately, our execution did not deliver our intended message and in fact proved to be insensitive and insulting. Upon recognizing this, we attempted to pull the ad from all publications but, unfortunately, we failed on one last media placement.

We are sorry and are working hard to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

Nancy Bhagat Vice President, Director of Integrated Marketing

See also:
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/advertising/intel-ad-might-be-racist-but-boy-does-it-make-me-want-a-core-2-duo-284037.php
http://gawker.com/news/lies-will-disguised/intel-ad-stupid-or-stupid-and-racist-284292.php

 

[Mayfly]

Not at all. It shows a bunch of runners ready to start a race symbolizing the speed of Intel.

 

[Trouser_Buddah]

Give. Me. A. Break. ::)

 

[Pete Incaviglia]

six athletic black dudes bowing down before a dorky white guy in khaki pants.

Bowing down? They are in the start position prior to a sprint.

Is it racist? I don't think so.

Could they have used white sprinters, too? Yes.

 

[Flash]

I can see the intent of the ad may not have been racist but the composition is all wrong. Had they used a variety of races in the sprinter position, maybe.

 

[alleyallen]

I'll be honest...until I read the comments of others on here, I didn't even realize all the people in the starting position were black.

 

[Bob Cook]

It would help if you saw the sprinters' feet in the starting position. Just a badly laid-out ad that through its badness, leaves itself open to interpretation.

 

[Eagles1 in London]

i'm sorry--that's not racist at all. a company like Intel is both ad/marketing savvy and has the money to pay for a top of the line ad agency....on top of that, Intel themselves would probably have to approve all advertising (I imagine)...the fact that this was created, approved, etc and probably seen by tons of smart, savvy people without alarms being raised proves (to me) that people who found this racist are seriously reaching...c'mon people--there are real racist acts in the world that needs to be fought...this is not one of them

my 2 cents

 

[expendable]

Give the sprinters track shirts with numbers, put them behind the guy who was standing and it isn't. Otherwise, it looks like a buch of shirtless black men bowing down to whitey. I can see where someone could infer poor taste -- though I'm sure it was unintentional on Intel's part.

 

[Ace]

It's not racist, but it's insensitive to bald people, who have to bow down to some dweeb in khakis who is in charge simply because he has a thick, wavy head of hair.

 

[Chef]

This will not end well once sportsbruh sees it.

 

[sportschick]

I don't think it's intentionally racist, but I can see where it could be taken as such, and not by people who are reaching either. Course all they needed were some sprinters of different colors and nobody'd take it as racist at all.

 

[da el g]

It's not racist, but it's insensitive to bald people, who have to bow down to some dweeb in khakis who is in charge simply because he has a thick, wavy head of hair.

BRILLIANT!!

 

[Blue_Water]

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.

 

[sportschick]

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.

 

[Football_Bat]

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

 

[Blue_Water]

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

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.

 

[boots]

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.

 

[Ace]

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?

 

[Captain_Kirk]

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