16908: Put Off & Putting Around With Procrastination.

 

Procrastination is a depression response—or a response to dealing with incompetent teammates on shitty accounts at White advertising agencies.

 

Take test—or better yet, put it off until much later.

16907: Culturally Clueless Ketchup, Kicks, And KKKandles…?

 

Advertising Age spotlighted The Biggest Brand Fails Of 2024, including culturally clueless contenders. In addition to Kraft Heinz—which could’ve nabbed two awards—Ad Age called out the following brands:

 

Adidas, SL 72 shoes

 

The sports brand in July was forced to apologize for “any upset or distress caused” over its release of a remake of its SL 72 shoes, which originally debuted during the 1972 Munich Olympics. Critics, including the StopAntisemitism group, pointed out that the games are known for the murder of 11 Israeli athletes by Palestinian terrorists. The brand also drew complaints for making model Bella Hadid, a prominent critic of the Israeli government, the face of the campaign. Hadid in an Instagram post later said that “I am shocked, I am upset, and I am disappointed in the lack of sensitivity that went into this campaign,” adding that “my team should have known. Adidas should have known and I should have done more research so that I too would have known and understood, and spoken up.”

 

Bath & Body Works, “Snowed In”

 

The retailer in October came under fire for a design on packaging that resembled Ku Klux Klan hoods. The packaging for the Snowed In winter candle included snowflake of white cutouts, a style that drew comparisons to the hoods with eye holes worn by the KKK. Bath & Body Works pulled the candle from store shelves after social media complaints. In a statement it said it is “committed to fixing any mistakes we make—even those that are unintentional like this one.”

 

 

Gee, the Snowed In candle is perfect for igniting cross-burning events.

16906: The Year In Review—Developing DEIDICATION.

 

Adland 2024 inspired a new term: DEIDICATION

 

DEIDICATION refers to the DEIBA+ dedication professed by brands and White advertising agencies.

 

In the past year, major brands bowed to political pressures, diminishing DEIBA+ heat shields and dismissing human heat shields.

 

White advertising agencies did likewise, although such moves were reportedly motivated by cost-cutting schemes versus political influence.

 

In recent times, brands were quick to terminate White advertising agencies for displaying racism and/or cultural cluelessness. Plus, a handful of clients demanded agency partners diversify staffs.

 

Yet no White advertising agencies have protested brands for DEIBA+ abandonment. Don’t expect shops to cut ties with clients over these matters.

 

Indeed, White advertising agencies are likely breathing sighs of relief, figuring it’s now okay to follow clients’ leads and defund, downsize, detonate, and disrespect DEIBA+ too.

 

In summation, it all confirms the collective commitments to progress from brands and White advertising agencies are nothing more than performative PR. Rhetorical hypocrisy. Gobbledygook. Bullshit.

 

DEIDICATION really represents steadfast devotion to systemic racism.

16905: Happy New Year!

 

Adland celebrates 2025—despite displaying diversity, equity, and inclusion that mirrors the Mad Men era.