BHM2007: Here’s some more commentary regarding the Coca-Cola Black History spot that ran on the Super Bowl (see Essay 1661 and click on the essay title above to view the commercial)…
At Adfreak’s special Super Bowl review, self-proclaimed futurist guru Marian Salzman posted the following: “Maybe it’s just me with so many African-American players on the field, but it was genuinely refreshing to see Coke celebrate Black History Month with such grace and ease. I wonder how the public will recall the spot, but I know I learned something from it.”
Um, it’s revealing to see someone state “I know I learned something from it.” After all, the spot referenced Tuskegee Airmen, Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. These are hardly figures someone like Salzman should need schooling on.
Then again, it was somewhat breakthrough for the exposition to be presented to a general market (and international) audience. Yet anyone familiar with Black History Month advertising probably recognized the spot as being painfully contrived and expected.
The only potentially obscure reference in the spot is the first one: “North Pole, 1909. A black man is on top of the world.”
The reference is to Matthew A. Henson, pictured above and below. When Robert E. Peary allegedly discovered the North Pole in 1909, Henson was the person standing beside him.
But as seen in the BHM IBM ad below, Coke is hardly the first advertiser to honor the man. What’s more, they ripped off IBM’s headline.
3 comments:
I knew you'd rip Salzman for that typical Limousine Liberal "I Just Love Black People" comment.
The "with so many Black players on the field" line was particularly creepy.
And yeah, this white boy was thinking the same thing, HJ: How TF do you not know who Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks, & MLK are.
(Cynical answer: She didn't learn a thing from the spots. Just felt obligated to offer some sort of fake praise to show how empathetic she is to Black folks.)
If the Taco Bell lions were an inside joke from Draft, then the only two out of 30+ spots Sunday to speak to any heritage or 'diversity' issues still maintains the dirty little secret inside the biz.
Sorry, my bad. There was diversity. There were talking animals, thinking robotic arms, and lounge acts as ceiling walkers.
>>If the Taco Bell lions were an inside joke from Draft, then the only two out of 30+ spots Sunday to speak to any heritage or 'diversity' issues still maintains the dirty little secret inside the biz.>>
Huh? I think I missed something there and it sounds like an interesting point. Can you re-explain.
Thanks
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