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Sony Takes Down ‘Racist’ Billboards

Sony’s billboards for its new white PlayStation Portable which were posted in the Netherlands have been called racist, and Sony has taken them down and apologized, the eCommerce Times reports. The billboards in question showed a white woman dressed in white “threateningly” grabbing the face of a black girl, along with copy that read, “PlayStation Portable White is coming,” according to the article.

This image was one of several versions showing the two women in different poses, the company said, and was meant only to emphasize the color contrast between the existing PSP in black and the new ceramic white PSP. On the Dutch Sony PSP website, the image is a different one: two hands - one black, one white - holding the white PSP.

Last year, Sony “graffiti” ads were criticized in cities across the U.S. The ads made no mention of Sony, were painted by graffiti artists and some said they called into question the “transparency” of advertising. Others, such as New York City Councilman Peter Vallone, felt that while the ads were paid for and legal, they sent the message that graffiti and vandalism are okay.