Now Adweek presents a story titled: Crossing Over — Some creatives move to multicultural shops to counter ‘the blind spot.’
I can’t speak for everyone — particularly the Hispanic folks — but I’m guessing the creatives making the move are in the minority. (SFX: rim shot.)
Perry Fair, an associate creative director featured in the report, offers some quirky contradictions. He speaks of an incident that “reinforced his decision to leave the world of mass market agencies to work at a minority shop.” Yet he also apparently “cut his copywriting teeth working on Nike print ads at Wieden + Kennedy in Portland, Ore.” Wieden + Kennedy arguably produces some of the best multicultural advertising in the industry for Nike. True Agency, Fair’s current workplace, would be hard-pressed to match the level of excellence and multicultural appeal. Hell, parent shop TBWA\Chiat\Day shows more skills with its adidas campaign.
Next, Fair disses the efforts of most multicultural agencies, expressing his boredom with the standard clichés. But then Adweek displays Fair’s campaign for the Nissan Infiniti with a print ad exhibiting Black music artists beside the car. Wow. A Black ad starring Black music artists. Plus, a headline reading, “Black Rhythm by the Infiniti FX45.” Lead us to The Promised Land, Reverend Fair! Better check with your eye doctor before commenting on others’ blind spots.
True executive creative director Christopher Davis proclaims, “Minority insights are based on a lifetime of cultural absorption and several years of craft.” Fair admits that his personal interests stray outside of the culture, professing more boredom with hip-hop and basketball. These brothas appear to be a few years short of honing their craft. Then again, ya can’t knock the hustle.
Adweek unintentionally exposes a lot of the issues surrounding multicultural advertising, especially Black advertising. Every generation steps up with the same gripes (have the complaints become clichés?), including the newly-emerging disdain for the accomplishments of peers. Talk about black-on-black racism! Somebody call Rodney King to holler, “Can’t we all just get along?”
Does Adweek have the guts to present counterpoints with Don Coleman of GlobalHue, Byron Lewis of UniWorld or AAF Hall of Famer Thomas Burrell? Do any of these ad leaders have the guts to deliver counterpoints?
Here’s the big question: Does the (stereo)typical Adweek reader even care?
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On Wednesday, I read that Diane Weathers tended her resignation as editor-in chief of Essence magazine. This came as a shock after she and editorial director Susan L. Taylor did their best in the April issue to try and convince subscription holders that nothing would change with the recent sale of Essence to Time, Inc.
But I have to wonder, is Diane's departure the first trickle of what will soon become a hemorrage of black creatives, and later black representation altogether? Will Essence lose it's essence?
I guess I'll have to wait and see since I renewed my subscription this past December. The forecast doesn't look good. The April cover story features Mariah Carey as "America's most misunderstood black woman...in 'the story only we can tell" This editorial about a woman who at the beginning of her career described herself as 'non-racial' was about as flat as her current record sales and it did absolutely nothing to assuage the notion that she only chooses to be 'black' when it is convenient for her.
I also noticed that the media buys weren't as thoughtful as they have been in the past. An advertiser would typically run the 'black version' of their general market ad. A few advertisers didn't bother this month (Liz Claiborne and Splenda). How many won't bother next month?
Every brand of foundation doesn't carry a match for the skin I'm in and we celebrated our big butts long before jlo made it popular in the mainstream media .
So what's a sister to do as she watches 'the magazine for the women of color' grow pale?
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