HSBC, the world's stereotyping bank.

What we have here is an advert for HSBC; the world's local bank. I invite you to watch it through, even though I'm sure you've already seen it.

Have you watched it? Good.

I would like to make the assertion that this advert is grossly stereotypical and borderline racist.
You only have to look at the vibrant, bustling Indian city with the bright colours, with melodrammatic Indians and a thriving lassi factory.

And whilst that is a stereotype, most people would probably miss the one that I am complaining about.

Re-watch it, and this time focus your attention on the portrayal of Poland. Remember this is from a bank that is supposed to be "local bank" that knows all about the different cultures of the places that it serves.
Pause the video at 0:01 and look at how Poland is presented to us.

When we looked at this in lectures some of the Polish students commented on how it looked like Poland might have looked twenty years ago. But all HSBC has done has pandered to stereotypes of what British people think Poland is like.

India is stereotyped too of course, but probably we would be aware of that, but the Polish stereotyping goes unnoticed.