Intel Pulls Controversial Ad, Apologizes

Intel has pulled an ad featuring a white man surrounded by six sprinters. According to Nancy Bhagat Vice President and Director of Integrated Marketing at Intel, the McCann-created ad was supposed to "convey the performance capabilities of our processors through the visual metaphor of a sprinter." But complaints across the Internet say the dark-skinned sprinters look like they're bowing down to the white man.

• The Controversy: See the Ad
• The Apology: Intel Statement on Sprinter Ad
• Using Your Blog: Blogs as PR Tools
• Blogs for Damage Control: Is It a Good Idea?

Instead of issuing the standard press release, Intel made the apology using its blog. "Unfortunately, our execution did not deliver our intended message and in fact proved to be insensitive and insulting," part of the statement reads.

The move has opened up the company to comments on its own blog about the controversy. Some praise the company for making the bold move to issue the apology on the blog and some express their disappointment in the ad. Should more companies use their blogs to allow consumer comments for damage control or does it just make the situation worse? Share your views.