Had a delayed adverse reaction to the really bad Uncle Ben’s video created by BBDO San Francisco. The lame concept features two characters offering to do homework for school kids, depicting the reactions of rejecting parents. The characters then make a sloppy transition, encouraging parents to teach their kids how to cook. It’s all part of a bigger promotion called Ben’s Beginners™, which includes a cooking contest with parents and children. While downplaying the historically racist Uncle Ben icon is evident, the casting of the two main characters seems questionable and exclusionary. Why did BBDO SF select two White guys? Surely there could have been a greater consideration for diversity when picking the leads—despite one of the characters sporting an afro of sorts.
4 comments:
Like everything else in the ad industry (the use of hip hop music, etc.), now that Uncle Ben's has built its brand and money on top of black culture, it's time to step away and divorce itself from that culture.
It's only a matter of time before the image of Uncle Ben as a black man goes away, and they start using some kind of stylized "U B" logo instead.
As always, there won't be anyone black in the agency, behind the camera, or in a decision making role in any kind of meaningful way.
MAC Cosmetics just proved why it's dangerous and stupid to forget about hiring minorities in advertising. They promoted Day of the Dead content and forgot to invite any, y'know, actual Mexicans within a million miles of creating it.
http://www.latinorebels.com/2015/11/01/the-day-of-the-dead-makeup-video-mac-cosmetics-doesnt-want-you-to-see/
The angry pushback from the consumers they were trying to target has been horrendous. It turns out that when you try to sell Latina makeup fans on Day of the Dead, and they sense that you're cutting corners, they shout "cultural appropriation" on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
No bueno.
What marketing executives do to minorities when they think no one’s watching:
http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/taco-bell-fires-marketing-manager-who-was-caught-video-punching-uber-driver-167905
Didn't the guy who posted racist stuff about a co-workers young son on Facebook also work in ad/marketing?
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