15653: More Evidence That Digital Advertising Sucks.

 

Connect with a Merrill advisor today…on Christmas Day? And without social distancing and masks?

13537: BHM 2017—Bank Of America.

This Bank of America advertisement is technically not for BHM; rather, it salutes the bank’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for being recognized in the 2016 EBONY POWER 100 list. But the headline quote from Lonnie G. Bunch III takes on added meaning when applied to the African American experience in the advertising industry.

11468: Bank Of Not Black America.

From The New York Daily News…

Bank of America ordered to pay $2.2 million to 1,000 black job seekers it discriminated against

An investigation by the Labor Department found that Bank of America’s Charlotte office had used “unfair and inconsistent selection criteria” in order to deny African Americans work.

By David Knowles / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

As an employer, it wasn’t exactly the bank for all of America.

Bank of America was ordered Monday to pay 1,147 African American job applicants $2,181,593 in back wages and interest after a judge found that the company’s Charlotte office had racially discriminated against them.

Judge Linda S. Chapman ruled that the bank used “unfair and inconsistent selection criteria” when it routinely chose white applicants over black job-seekers in 1993 and again between 2002 and 2005.

In 1993, the Labor Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs launched a review of the bank that turned up evidence of “systemic hiring discrimination” against African Americans, denying them entry-level clerical and administrative positions.

Bank of America vigorously contested the allegations and argued that the Labor Department did not have the legal authority to impose fines against it, but the judge sided with the government’s claim that because the bank is a federally insured entity, it qualifies as a federal contractor.

The ruling was a long-awaited victory for the Labor Department, which had first brought the case to court in 1997.

“Wherever doors of opportunity are unfairly closed to workers, we will be there to open them — no matter how long it takes,” OFCCP Director Patricia A. Shiu said in a statement. “Judge Chapman’s decision upholds the legal principle of making victims of discrimination whole, and these workers deserve to get the full measure of what is owed to them.”

The bank must now pay $964,033 to 1,034 applicants who were rejected for jobs in 1993, and another $1,217,560 to 113 African Americans who were denied work between 2002 and 2005. In addition, Bank of America has been ordered offer jobs to 10 applicants who were originally turned down.

The bank, meanwhile, refused to comment on the specifics of the ruling.

“At Bank of America, diversity and inclusion are part of our culture and core company values,” Christopher Feeney, a spokesman for the bank, said in a statement. “We actively promote an environment where all employees have the opportunity to succeed.”

11129: Mad Men & Bank Of America.

Besides the obligatory Black moving person and background extras, the latest episode of AMC series Mad Men Season 6 featured zero people of color. However, a Bank of America commercial aired during the broadcast, presenting the stereotypical Black music artists.

10070: Banking On Corporate Cultural Collusion.

Advertising Age reported Bank of America awarded its brand advertising to a WPP team. It’s unclear if the team will be a coalition of agencies like the recent Coors maneuver, or if the holding company will erect an agency like the infamous Enfatico debacle.

Can’t help but think this scenario shows how holding companies devalue advertising agencies. Omnicom does it by essentially telling clients that all agencies are interchangeable and generic. Element 79 equals Goodby Silverstein & Partners equals Juniper Park equals Energy BBDO equals TBWA/Chiat/Day equals Fathom Communications—take your pick. WPP and Publicis do it by serving agencies à la carte, buffet style or cooking one up from scratch. IPG does it by simply combining the worst agencies with the worst leadership. The remaining holding companies are so awful, they don’t warrant commentary.

Of course, there’s rarely any mention of minority agencies in these affairs. As always, the non-Whites are an afterthought—or usually not thought of at all. And regardless of the individual tactics executed by the holding companies, it’s ultimately just another example of Corporate Cultural Collusion.

Bank of America Moves Brand Advertising From BBDO to WPP

Holding Company Team Will Roll Out New Strategic Positioning

By Rupal Parekh

Bank of America has shifted brand advertising duties to a WPP team from Omnicom Group’s BBDO, according to two executives familiar with the matter.

The selection of WPP comes after a process that the bank, under its CMO Anne Finucane, began in January. WPP will now be responsible for the rollout of a new strategic positioning—or what Bank of America was internally calling the development of a “North Star” that would signal to Wall Street and consumers that it’s a new day at the bank, helping to repair the company’s tarnished image.

The agency change will likely lead to BofA shedding its current “Bank of Opportunity” slogan, which was developed by BBDO. The tag was adopted a few years ago to replace the prior “Higher Standards” campaign, but it lost resonance amid a recession that tightened consumers’ purse strings and crippled many small businesses across America.

WPP’s Brand Union was already assigned to Bank of America, so the holding company secures an even larger place on the bank’s roster with this win. Interpublic Group of Cos.’ Hill Holliday, which has handled marketing duties for the bank’s wealth management and corporate social-responsibility operations, among other things, is expected to retain its work. Those agencies either could not be immediately reached or referred calls to Bank of America, which did not return a request for comment by press time.

It’s unclear what the moves mean for Bank of America’s PR shop, Weber Shandwick. Media duties and digital were not in play.

According to Ad Age’s DataCenter, BofA is the 17th-largest marketer in the country, with $1.55 billion in ad spending in the U.S. The company’s rethink comes amid widespread mistrust of large financial organizations that manifested in the Occupy Wall Street movement. According to an agency briefing document that Ad Age obtained in February, the group that weighed in on the review included, in addition to Ms. Finuane, the following senior execs: Claire Huang, who runs marketing globally for Bank of America’s institutional business; co-Chief Operating Officers Tom Montag and David Darnell; Jim Mahoney, director of public policy; and the bank’s top boss, CEO Brian Moynihan.

In an internal note to the agency this afternoon, BBDO Worldwide President-CEO Andrew Robertson expressed his disappointment. It said: “Our Bank of America team has worked tirelessly and passionately on the business, not just over the last four months, but for the last seven years, often under extraordinary pressure …s our work helped drive sales.” He added: “The transition will probably take some time and I know the bank can expect the same professionalism from the team in this period that they’ve come to know over the years.”

6367: Dressed For Success And Bankruptcy.

Weekend styles in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Looks like President Barack Obama’s Midas touch isn’t always immediate. Hartmarx Corporation, the creator of Obama’s suits, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Expect to see an Obama Suit Collection soon.

• The New York Daily News reported Bank of America apparently canned Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain for buying a $1,200 wastebasket during an office redecorating. It would be interesting to see the executive suites at Bank of America. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone into their designer trash receptacle.

• Tom Hanks apologized for recently calling Mormon Proposition 8 supporters “un-American.” Hanks’ statement read, “I believe Proposition 8 is counter to the promise of our Constitution; it is codified discrimination … But everyone has a right to vote their conscience; nothing could be more American … To say members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who contributed to Proposition 8 are ‘un-American’ creates more division when the time calls for respectful disagreement. No one should use ‘un- American’ lightly or in haste. I did. I should not have.” The offended Mormons are probably spiritually obligated to forgive Hanks.

6244: Not-So-Funny Money.

Playing around in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• KB toys filed for bankruptcy protection, probably blaming it on the doll housing crisis. Maybe Washington will offer them a bailout—with play money.

• Bank of America announced plans to cut up to 35,000 jobs over the next three years. Seems like a good time for bank employees to bail out of the business.

5381: 1Quickies.

Ups and downs in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Bank of America reported a 77 percent drop in 1Q profits. “These results clearly did not meet our expectations,” said Chief Executive Ken Lewis. “The weakness in the economy and prolonged disruptions in the capital markets took their toll.” Hadji Williams hopes to see the percentage significantly increase in the next quarter.

• Google reported a 30 percent increase in 1Q profits. Chief Executive Eric E. Schmidt said, “It’s clear we are well positioned for 2008 and beyond, regardless of the business environment we are surrounded by.” Especially if Bank of America employees proceed to use Google to search for new jobs.