As reported by Buzzfeed, the Rome-based marketing outfit Fanatical About Cinema has created some posters for the February release of 12 Years A Slave in Italy. The campaign could be called one of two things: (a) “Chiwetel who?” or (b) “Ragazzi bianchi l’avevano duro durante la schiavitu troppo” (i.e. “White guys had it tough during slavery too”). Clearly Fanatical About Cinema was instructed by BIM Distribuzione, the film’s local distributor, to try and reach Italians who occasionally use the term “mulignan.” What kind of hip ad agency would create this kind of poster for a film like 12 Years A Slave? English translation: “You put-ah Brad and Michael upfront or we hire someone else…kapeesh?”

Jordan Zakarin and Ellie Hall‘s Buzzfeed story notes that “other marketing materials for the film, which is translated to 12 Anni Schiavo for Italian audiences, do feature Chiwetel Ejiofor more prominently. There is some key art that focus on Ejiofor. [He is] also the unavoidable star of the trailer that was released in Italy earlier this month.”

Update: A 12.23 Variety story is quoting “a spokesman for Lionsgate, which is handling the film overseas, saying that the Italian 12 Years a Slave theatrical posters featuring Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender were unauthorized and were not approved by any of the producers or licensors of the film.” The story adds that Lionsgate “is vowing to recall the Italian marketing material” and that “Summit Entertainment, acting as exclusive sales agent for the licensors, is investigating and taking immediate action to stop the distribution of any unauthorized posters.”