A Microsoft ad published in Poland is causing a bit of a nightmare for the company. You see, the same ad was being used in the US, except the one in the US featured a black gentleman in the middle.

He was removed for the Polish version.

Enjoy these very average Photoshop skills:

Now you see him
Now you don’t

You can see the exact original US page here. The Polish version has now been changed to show the same image as the US one above, so we don’t need to show you that link.

So now, by quietly trying to conceal a man’s race, Microsoft has inadvertently made race an issue. Shame, and he seemed so happy to be there!

Microsoft has apologised (here)

I don’t think it’s a big deal – it probably just filled the Polish profile better. They’re probably not as anal about “representing the full spectrum” as they are in the US (let alone here in SA *yawn*). I very much doubt it was a BLACK “thing.”

I think they should be glad they kept the Asian fellow in, mind you.

Here at 2oceansvibe we don’t take any chances. Virtually all of our staff are black, Asian, Jewish, handicapped female midget cyclists.