iEntry 10th Anniversary
Contact
RSS
Aug
09
Microsoft Edited Black Man Out of Polish Ad
Advertising is an odd bird in the business industry. Many businesses hate advertising for one simple reason, it’s nearly impossible to track effectively. Is an ad working? Can one really tell if it is or not? Then you have to ask the questions — How do I make my ad effective? What changes need to be made?
For Microsoft, a recent ad was changed that really brought the wrong kind of response. In a photo for a Microsoft advertisement, a black man was photoshopped out when the ad made it’s way to Poland. Here’s the photo comparison:
First, it’s obvious this was a Photoshop job. Most of the blog writers have accounted the change due to Poland’s ethnic homogeneity, if it’s a viable reason is where the debate lies. What does the photoshopping of the photo actually mean? Is Microsoft being racist in this situation, or are they just relating to their audience who’s predominantly of one race? Whatever the answer to that question is, Microsoft is in the process of taking the photo down.
The big issue with me is how horrid of a Photoshop job this was. I mean this was a complete hack job, and I’d find whoever did it and fire them or relinquish them of service. They didn’t even take the time to change the skin color of the hand. Tsk Tsk.
Convert it to PDF. This has several advantages, the first being the recipient is not required to have Microsoft Word and the second, is in a format that is much more difficult to modify.
I want the recipient to be able to open and read it but not edit it.
Is there anyway to do it? Is there anyway to prevent them from printing it?
I’m using MS Office 2003 in XP Pro.
Probably “contains nuts”. That seems to be on the label of everything else.
This is more than a little scary. But marketing is marketing. If they were “testing” and the 2nd image tested better than the first, then as a company it only makes sense to go where the dollars take you. But again, it’s scary that people feel more comfortable without ‘diversity.’ It’s a social litmus test as to level of comfort society has with ‘differences’ in people (and skin color.)
There are a few other factors that may affect it. Perhaps age. The 1st many looks older than the 2nd guy and perhaps for a ‘technology’ company, they need a more ‘youthful’ approach.
Who knows? It’s just sad really.
~ Learn To Speak French Fluently blog
I read a lot about this as the news was everywhere. I agree the Photoshop job was terrible and surprised a company like MS let it slip through. But I think there was no racism intended. It would be the same as replacing the white people in the photo with people that make up the most of the local region when using it for another country. Still, it’s best to avoid controversy and just use a different picture instead of Photoshopping.
I am not sure, to the untrained eye it doesn’t really look like a photoshop job, for me personally I can’t see the photoshop job, but at the same time I am not really that great at seeing something like that so I may be one of the rare people. I don’t think Microsoft is being racist, I think they just want to target the particular country better. But they should of really just saved the headache and taken a new picture all together.
Till then,
Jean
Microsoft is such a big name in the world ,for marketing they had done this kind of photoshopping but it gives birth to racism….
I read a lot about this as the news was everywhere ;))
Microsoft is not racist. In this act, they removed the black man due to ethnic concept in Poland. It is like avoiding trouble and save their own business.
I saw the picture closely. I think, they replaced the white man with black, not the black man with white.
This is more than a little scary. But marketing is marketing.
I have to ask one question. If the black man were edited out, how come the Asian man wasn’t edited out also? After all, Poland doesn’t have many Asians either. When I went there a few years, I hardly saw any.
I truly do not think there was an intention based on being racist. An ad has to resonate with the people it is being shown to. It is horrible that ethnicity/skin color/etc, are still problems, but it is that way, and since some people are small minded and refuse to open their eyes, unfortunately, may always be so.
I agree, consolidation. It’s almost like an unconscious awareness in people to be racist to some level even if they don’t want to be.
I saw the picture closely.
That’s just fantastic. If you thought Microsoft had bad rep and was always criticized, wait for the new wave of jokes concerning ‘Microsoft Photoshopping you out of the picture’.
You’re joking, right? Look at the man’s hand. The black guy’s hand was left on the white man’s body!
I really don’t think there was any bad intent and it was just done to cater to the demographics of Poland. But in today’s politically correct environment, such decisions must be carefully thought over beforehand.
And you can see in the photo that his hand is still black. Sloppy photo editing to be sure.
- Robert
That’s just fantastic. If you thought Microsoft had bad rep and was always criticized, wait for the new wave of jokes concerning ‘Microsoft Photoshopping you out of the picture’.
That’s really a good news that”Microsoft Edited Black Man Out of Polish Ad” with have a cool sharing here.
i think it all has to do with statistics. Maybe polish people are less comfortable with black people, which I don’t think is a good thing but if you look at statistics and model your ads after them you will have better conversion rates. Not every place has the same results.
I want the recipient to be able to open and read it but not edit it.
It’s all about selling their product. YOU are right, how many black people are in the market in Poland. Here in Mexico, I am so AMAZED that with it’s 85% heavily mixed Ethnic Native American blood, dark skin, their highway signs are all WHITE women, blue eyes, and fair complexion.
This sells in Mexico. It may change someday when the darker people realize they are being left out..
m not sure, to the untrained eye it doesn’t really look like a photoshop job, for me personally I can’t see the phot
sted better than the first, then as a company it only makes sense to go where the dollars take you. But again, it’s scary that people feel more comfortable without ‘diversity.’ It’s a social !!
, which I don’t think is a good thing but if you look at statistics and model your ads after them you will have better conversion rates. Not every place has the same results.!!
I edited a picture using Microsoft Word. How am I supposed to get it on face book though? When I try to copy and paste the picture in the place where you upload the picture in the box it says that there is a problem with the image file. Anyone dare to try to help me???
sted better than the first, then as a company!
I am glad to watch good feedback.A black man was photoshopped out when the ad made it’s way to Poland.Keep it continue.
Hilarious that the Photoshop job missed changing the color of the hand among other things.
- Robert
Every international business should geolate their advertising campaign, so I don’t thin that microsoft wants to be racist.
By the way the photoshop job seems crappy so I really doubt that it’s from a real Microsoft campaign
I’m surprised with all that money Microsoft did not pay for a more professional job. Not only is his hand too dark but his neck appears too short.