I think their research might have showed that the purchasers of alka seltzer were white males and the commercial reflected white males wanting alka seltzer. Political correctness probably took a back seat to marketing subtlety. Maybe test markets showed that white consumers were subconsciously afraid or negative towards black prisoners leaving a negative feeling in people after they saw the commercial. Nothing is left to chance.
They try to leave nothing to chance but often fail. Look at all the really bad commercials. Look at all the Google ads you get that have little relevancy to anything you would ever purchase. Anyway, I don't know but logic would dictate that black people would use Alka Seltzer as much or more than white people. Eat fried chicken and soul food every day and you'll be pop pop fizz fizzing a lot more often too. Also the subconsciously message could be that white people are so privileged that they have to fuck up bad enough to go to prison to have to eat food that would give them heartburn.
