8012: Stating The Painfully Obvious.

At Advertising Week, Graham Stanley Advertising President and CEO Larry Woodard said the industry is finally admitting it has serious problems with diversity, digital and more. Um, Woodard needs to brush up on his Madison Avenue trivia. First, diversity has been a topic of discussion at Advertising Week for many consecutive years. Second, in her keynote address at the 2009 4As Leadership Conference, Nancy Hill quoted former 4As Chairman Jock Elliott admitting to the dearth of diversity—an admission made in 1968. And let’s not forget advertising agency founder Milton Biow speaking out on the need for a more inclusive workplace—in the 1940s. The industry has been finally admitting there’s a diversity problem for about 80 years.

As for the serious problems with digital, well, that’s no revelation either. For proof, simply visit the Advertising Week website. The design is total shit and it’s almost impossible to navigate.