IKEA has stopped publishing the widely anticipated annual list in the United States this year because the company has removed the photo that could have been attacked.
According to a report confirmed by Fox Business, the film showed him trying to put furniture together while wearing a black shirt, which for some resembled a prisoner’s uniform.
IKEA delayed the release of the print version of its 2021 list – which is said to print more than 200 million copies each year – due to the photo.
The schedule was originally scheduled for release in August, as Quartz first reported.
The picture shows a cast wearing a slit in the finger and an actor in the leg when positioned near a coffee table that requires assembly, Quartz said.
But the shirt he was wearing was said to be engraved with the numbers “45678”, which raised eyebrows, the company said.
“After distributing the 2021 list locally, we found an image that could be misunderstood,” an IKEA U.S. spokesman said in an email to Fox Business.
“As a mission-led organization with core values of diversity and content, IKEA strives to be a force for positive change in society. .
The company considered its options and decided to remove the image from the printed version of the list in the United States, which means it will not be available in stores there until later this year, a spokesman said.
The online version of the list went live on Monday.
According to a spokesman, the photo was on page 133, depicting the company’s assembly service by Taskrobit.
“The black model in the ad was wearing a black shirt with white numbers on the back. The costumes were selected only for the visual appearance of the film and the numbers were considered only as a design detail, ”the company said. “We understand that the film can be interpreted as reinforcing negative racial stereotypes, and that our partners around the world are re-filming the film in the most appropriate setting.”
This article first appeared Fox News And re-created with permission
