An advertisement for chicken outside a New York City Whole Foods depicting a man who resembled President Obama has been removed after the store received complaints that it was offensive, according to NBC 4 New York.
The ad, drawn on a chalkboard outside the Upper West Side store, was for a one-day sale of whole organic chicken. The man in the ad was holding a flag with the words "animal welfare rating" on it.
A Whole Foods spokesman told NBC 4 the store has artists who often use pop cultural imagery for advertisements, and when they were notified by a customer that the sign could be offensive, took it down.
"[It was taken down] once it was brought to our attention by a shopper that it may be perceived as offensive," Michael Sinatra public relations and public affairs manager to NBC 4. "...there was no disrespect meant at all."
"There are certain things that have been used to put down black people — watermelon, fried chicken," said Woody Henderson, a neighbor to the Whole Foods who spoke with NBC New York.
"Even if he's not the president, you're going to have an African American promoting the sale of chicken? They can do better than that," said Jason Nunez, a Bronx resident.