12456: Super Bowl Inflategate.

MultiCultClassics will forgo an in-depth examination of the latest Super Bowl offerings from Madison Avenue—especially since too many White advertising agency wonks are already doing so. Rather, this post presents a few quick points to ponder.

In 2010, the Madison Avenue Project and NAACP presented a study—conducted by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida—that revealed the overwhelming majority of Super Bowl commercials were conceived by White creative directors.

So let’s review the progress five years later.

Black representation in the advertising industry has actually declined.

The Madison Avenue Project has essentially died.

White women have hijacked the diversity discussion.

While Super Bowl XLIX has been tainted by Deflategate, the advertising industry has created Inflategate. That is, White advertising agencies have been inflating the perception of diversity. Hiring figures are inflated via the addition of White women and global citizens. Collaboration and representation are inflated through cross-cultural smokescreens. The illusion of cultural competence is inflated by shamelessly producing patronizing poop.

Deflategate is being debated, scrutinized and investigated ad nauseam. Inflategate is business as usual in adland—and nauseating.