Intel, the Processor Company Better Known for Racist Ads!

Big companies pay millions for advertisements every year, yet every year we see big companies getting criticized for producing a racial or stereotypical advertisement.  I would think that the millions spent each year on advertisements, would somehow eliminate this problem.

Intel has fallen victim to this scrutiny.  While I was searching for a unique advertisement, I came across this national campaign the company put out in 2007.  The message in this advertisement has stirred up mixed emotions.  Intel’s advertising group was trying to illustrate performance and speed, but instead illustrated to what most people see as slavery.  In the picture, there is an Anglo male standing in the middle of an office.  By his sides there are six Black, male, athletes bowing down before the white male.  The word choice used to describe the ad completes the slavery allusion.  “Multiply computing performance and maximize the power of your employees”.  “Multiply computing performance…”, can signify how many slave owners impregnated their slaves to create more slaves in a cost efficient way.  In the ad, there are six identical Black males, which can show how the Master has succeeded in multiplying his computing performance.  Intel continues to draw the comparison of these workers to slaves by including in their ad the need to “Maximize the power of your employees”.  This shows that the master is trying to get the most output from his employees, or in this racial assumption, his slaves. 
                Intel was trying to draw on the metaphor of comparing people to computers, but instead, many people felt that the only metaphor they drew was slaves to these people.  Juxtaposition is also clearly illustrated in this advertisement.  There is an obvious distinction between the two sides.  You have the white male who has a devilish smile on.  This white male is the obvious master, whereas his “workers” are considered the opposite side.  The workers are drawn to be his slaves.  Obvious characteristics of these workers are that they are all identical, they are all black, and they are all bowing down to their master.

To a group of white, male, businessmen, this advertisement may not come off as racist at all.  This group may in fact see it as a strong metaphor of workers and computers.  This group may also see this ad as catchy and unique.  But to other minority groups, such as African Americans, this advertisement is an obvious racist one.  Due to history, this group cannot but think of slavery.  For Intel to choose only black males and to have them in a bowing motion to a white male is an obvious mistake on their part.