Universal Edits Black Actors Out of "Couples Retreat" Ad in Europe

(MoneyWatch)  Universal Pictures has yanked a movie ad for Couples Retreat in the U.K. after the poster deleted the two black actors from the movie (images below). In the U.S. version of the poster, Faizon Love and Kali Hawk are shown standing in the background. But in the U.K. version the pair were deleted. All the white actors -- such as Vince Vaughn and Kristin Davis -- made it into the U.K. poster.

The incident is reminiscent of Microsoft (MSFT)'s removal of a black person in an ad for IT infrastructure in Poland. The Mail on Sunday noticed the Couples slipup:

A Universal spokesman said the revised advert aimed 'to simplify the poster to actors who are most recognisable in international markets'.

This may, technically, be true. The movie has been critically panned and the studio may have wanted to heighten the famous stars in the movie at the expense of the ensemble. And besides, Love and Hawk are virtually microscopic in the original image. Unfortunately, "technically" is not a replacement for common sense. If the solution to your art direction problem is "delete the black people," then you need to think again.

Hat tip to Gawker.

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