This archive report was first published on 4 July 2019.
On July 3, 2019, Italy's flagship airline Alitalia sparked outrage with a promotional video featuring an actor in blackface posing as former President Barack Obama.
The ad, part of a four-part series advertising a new non-stop route from Rome to Washington, DC, was widely criticized for its racist undertones.
Before-and-after shots of the actor, posted by France's BFMTV channel, showed the actor's nose, mouth, and lips were enlarged, further exacerbating the issue.
Alitalia initially defended the video, with a representative stating that the actor was not Caucasian and that the makeup was used to change his facial features, not his skin color.
However, the airline later apologized and removed the video from YouTube, stating that it was never their intention to hurt anyone and that they would learn from the incident.
"Alitalia deeply apologizes for the offense caused by the promotional video on our Washington route. It has since been removed," the company said in a statement.
