Why Did Microsoft Alter a Man's Race in Their Polish Ad?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around Microsoft's decision to alter the race of a man in an advertisement intended for the Polish market, where a black man was replaced with a white man. Participants explore the implications of this change, the quality of the editing, and the reactions to the advertisement.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express amusement at the poor quality of the Photoshop work, noting that the hand of the replaced character was not altered.
  • Others comment on the humorous aspects of the situation, with one participant suggesting that the Canadian version of the ad is preferable.
  • There is a suggestion that the purpose of advertising is to appeal to local demographics, raising questions about the appropriateness of the changes made by Microsoft.
  • One participant shares a link to a website dedicated to Photoshop disasters, indicating a broader interest in similar content.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of humor and critique regarding the advertisement, but there is no clear consensus on the implications of altering the race of the individual in the ad or the appropriateness of such changes in advertising.

Contextual Notes

Some participants reference specific browsers affecting the display of animations, indicating a potential limitation in how the content is experienced. Additionally, the discussion reflects varying perspectives on cultural representation in advertising without resolving the underlying issues.

Math Is Hard
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ruh roh

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/26/microsofts-ad-in-poland-p_n_269366.html

A black man was replaced with a white man in a Microsoft online advertisement intended for use in Poland. An Asian man in the ad apparently made the cut, and appeared in both the Polish and stateside versions of the ad.

I couldn't resist making an animation from the 2 images.

d73d0819c4091c3dbc6b4f7febe024c3.gif


Now if I could just make the heads morph...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
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The Canadian version

canada-1.jpg
 
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Math Is Hard said:
I couldn't resist making an animation from the 2 images.

Maybe you should have resisted. All that's showing up is the same picture flashing on and off. :-p
 
Lol... cute.
 
hmm.. It seems to work in my Firefox browser.
 
Math Is Hard said:
hmm.. It seems to work in my Firefox browser.

That might be the problem; I'm on Safari.
 
The photoshop is so bad too!

MIH's picture looks more natural than the Polish picture.
 
Yes! I love it when they use Canadians in advertising.
 
Pinu7 said:
The photoshop is so bad too!
So funny that they didn't bother to change the hand.

MIH's picture looks more natural than the Polish picture.
That's because I spent more time on mine that the Microsoft artist did. :biggrin:
 
  • #10
Hah! I didn't even notice the hand. That's wonderful!
 
  • #12
The Canadian version is awesome. You need to add a cloud so he can be saying "Hey Buddy!"
 
  • #14
I don't understand what the big deal is... I thought the point of advertising was to appeal to the area you're advertising in...