17429: SMH—American Crew Cuts Gray.

MediaPost spotlighted a new American Crew campaign for its Undetectable hair color product utilizing the tagline: Fly Under The Graydar.

 

Gray shaming is ageist, no?

 

This concept apparently flew under—or over—the cultural competence radar, going undetected by the responsible creative team.

 

Gray Ban: American Crew ‘Flys Under The Graydar’

 

By Fern Siegel

 

American Crew wants to eliminate gray hair.

 

That’s the premise behind its Undetectable, a product promoted with “Fly Under the Graydar” campaign, produced in-house. 

 

The campaign rolls out across digital, social and influencer channels this month. Additional creative is planned throughout the year.

 

The company is a big proponent of men’s grooming looking effortless. Because gray hair is easy to spot, the creative posits believable color as an essential standard, even as it pinpoints all the signs of obvious dye jobs.

 

Designed to blend seamlessly with existing grays, Undetectable hair color targets gray hairs and blends them with men’s natural hair color in five minutes.

 

Johnny Kazlausky, global marketing manager of American Crew, told Out To Launch: “Graydar was built on one simple truth — men don’t mind coloring their hair, they mind it being obvious. That tension has held the category back for years. So instead of focusing on coverage, we flipped the idea entirely. We created it as a cultural wink — this imagined radar for bad dye jobs — that everyone instinctively understands. In our world, the win isn’t being noticed, it’s flying under the Graydar.”

 

Undetectable Hair Color is available on Amazon Target and most major retailers. It’s also distributed in more than 30,000 salons, barbershops and authorized sellers in 50 countries.

17385: On WPP Culture & Cultural Cluelessness.

More About Advertising opined on the Roserrection of WPP, including WPP CEO Cindy Rose’s grand vision for cultivating a culture for the White holding company.

 

It’s a safe bet the culture will lack cultural competence, as Rose has not addressed the historic exclusivity at WPP.

 

The Elevate 28 three-year scheme can’t reverse over 35 years of systemic racism.

 

Can Cindy Rose unearth a winning culture for WPP?

 

By Stephen Foster

 

WPP’s Cindy Rose succeeded in calming some first night investor nerves with a well-received presentation yesterday, outlining her Elevate 28 three-year plan to return what it is still one of the world’s biggest ad holding companies to profitable health.

 

Key to this, though, is that it’s not going to be a holding company anymore. Such entities, Rose says, have no ‘culture’ and she wants the new integrated WPP to have one, a bit like a new PE teacher coming in and calling for more team spirit.

 

Culture is one of those words that forever catches out adland, used for all sorts of purposes it was never intended. In Sir Martin Sorrell’s day WPP had a very pronounced culture: it was going to be the biggest because big attracted big (advertisers that is.) Just as such outfits do in law, accountancy or consultancy. But most high growth, high pressure businesses hit the buffers at some stage and WPP duly did.

 

Rose’s more measured approach may work in today’s market; it should at least stabilise things which is the driving idea for year one of Elevate 28.

 

Will WPP staffers buy into it, in particular those from the creative side of the organisation who are now, Rose says — although not overtly — to be led by media. Historically creative types have rather looked down on their media colleagues, including at WPP. Key to Rose’s fortunes is the relationship between her and WPP Media boss Brian Lesser. He’s over there and she’s here, which may be a problem.

 

Fear, of course, is a great motivator and with AI stalking the corridors of the world’s people-led businesses WPP staff will be grateful to be still employed, albeit in a much-changed organisation. But that won’t last forever.

 

Rose still has to reveal the detail of what she’s planning and some of it, particularly cost cuts, will be painful. She will need to announce the regional bosses in creative, media and elsewhere and those choices may not be popular.

 

But this AI fan still manages to come across as human and that’s a start. 

17372: BHM 2026—NADI Marketing.

 

 

NADI Marketing presents “9 Ways to Celebrate Black History Month: Campaigns & Partnerships Ideas for Sustainable Brands”—comprised of 5 BHM Campaign Ideas and 4 Strategic Partnerships for BHM.

 

It’s a cornucopia of competent creative conception for the culturally clueless—likely delivered for crumbs.

16964: BHM 2025—Refuel Agency.

 

Refuel Agency offers Black History Month cultural consultation—including A Marketer’s Guide to Black History Month Campaigns (and beyond).

 

Okay, except most marketers and White advertising agencies are now avoiding BHM opportunities (and beyond).

16923: Delayed WTF 63—Washington NFL Team Rumored Reverting To Redskins.

 

MultiCultClassics is often occupied with real work. As a result, a handful of events occur without the expected blog commentary. This limited series—Delayed WTF—seeks to make belated amends for the absence of malice.

 

In December 2024, Newsweek reported the Washington Commanders are considering changing the team’s name back to the Washington Redskins.

 

If it comes to fruition, expect a celebratory breakfast with Aunt Jemima pancakes and Rastus-rebranded Cream of Wheat—in addition to plenty of Land O’Lakes butter featuring the Native American maiden mascot.

 

MultiCultClassics recommends team officials halt any renaming announcements for the time being, as the Commanders’ playoff progress could be thwarted by Offensive Karma.

 

Indeed, the team’s decisively dominating win over the Detroit Lions proves the revised name re-energized the franchise—along with new ownership including NBA Legend Magic Johnson. Spirited players—led by breakthrough Quarterback Jayden Daniels—have established the Commanders as championship contenders.

 

Cultural competence and diversity lead to victory.

 

Washington Commanders Rumored to Change Their Name Back to Redskins

 

The NFL’s Redskins became the Washington Football Team in 2020, then the Commanders in 2022, but the team may return to the identity it previously held for 87 years.

 

Commanders owner Josh Harris has expressed support for a name reversal since he took over the team last year. Harris and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell visited Capitol Hill on Monday to lobby for a bill that would help revitalize Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. A senior Senate staffer told Newsweek that U.S. Republican Senator John Thune of South Dakota was among the lawmakers who met with Harris and Goodell.

 

Newsweek reached out to the NFL and Harris’ representatives for comment Tuesday morning.

 

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources recently passed the D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act, which would transfer the land with the former stadium and its vicinity to the D.C. government for up to 99 years. The bill now moves to the Senate floor for a full vote.

 

There is no guarantee that the Commanders would build their next stadium at the site, but it’s possible that the football team returns to its home from 1961 to 1996.

 

A name reversal would be “a win against this woke mindset / sensitivity we’ve seen the last couple of years,” conservative influencer Amir Odom told Newsweek.

 

“Why are we politicizing sports team names?” he asked. “There’s more to worry about in this country than grown men fondling balls on a field and what name we refer to them as.”

 

“Let’s let this be a cultural and community thing. It’s one thing for politicians to share their opinion but to get this involved is a bit much.”

 

Is the Redskins Name Coming Back?

 

Harris, who bought the football team from longtime owner Dan Snyder last year for $6.05 billion, had previously said the old Redskins name, originating in 1933, would not return.

 

But Harris’ group includes NBA legend Magic Johnson, who told NBC News otherwise.

 

“Everything’s on the table, especially after this year,” Johnson told journalist Craig Melvin last year. “We’ll see where we are with the name.”

 

Some fans have even urged President-elect Donald Trump to change the team’s name back when he returns to office.

 

Do Native Americans Want the Redskins Name Back?

 

In September, ML Football, the credentialed media for everything football related, announced that the family of the Blackfeet chief featured in the logo wants the team to change its name back to Redskins.

 

“90 percent of Native Americans supported the Redskins name,” the post reads.

 

“People are fed up with everything being offensive,” Odom said. “If they change the name back it’s definitely a cultural win for keeping things how they are no matter the origin since context has changed. I feel like this could be a nod to keeping historic statues up despite the origins.”

 

Why Did the Washington Redskins Change Their Name?

 

“Redskin” is sometimes used as a discriminatory slang term against Indigenous people in the United States.

 

Amid the Black Lives Matter protests that followed the death of George Floyd, Snyder faced growing pressure from sponsors, including Nike, FedEx and PepsiCo, to change the team’s name. The league and team announced in July 2020 that it was “undergoing a thorough review of the team name.”

 

Snyder had insisted for over two decades, however, that he was not going to abandon the Redskins name, even as Indigenous advocacy groups fought to get rid of it. In 2020, more than a dozen tribal leaders and organizations sent a letter to Goodell calling for the league to force Snyder into changing the team’s name.

 

Criticism surrounding the name started in the 1960s and gained larger public traction in the 1990s. The team rebranded itself as the Washington Football Team in 2020 before becoming the Commanders in 2022.

 

But another name change could hurt the team, Jim Rocco, author of the coming book, Sports Crisis Communications: Cases & Controversies, told Newsweek.

 

“It’s always bad for a sports brand to sway this way and that in the face of changing political winds. You tend to make your fans dizzy,” he said. “In this case, the idea is actually a little crazy. What’s going to happen if the Democrats retake control of Congress? Will they change the name again?”

 

David Aaker, known as the “father of modern branding,” agreed that the team is in “a lose-lose situation.”

 

“Whatever route will upset some people and cause their support of the team to be reduced and that will not be offset by those that ‘won,’” Aaker told Newsweek. “If the name change is made I would not make a big deal out of it.”

 

Will the Original Redskins Logo Be Used?

 

Republican U.S. Senator Steve Daines of Montana previously threatened to block legislation pertaining to the RFK stadium site until the NFL and Commanders agreed to honor the old Redskins logo.

 

In a letter to Fox 5 WTTG, Daines said that the former logo, which depicted Blackfeet Chief Two Guns White Calf, acted as “a symbol of pride, strength and honor” and that it should not be censored.

 

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which Daines leads, approved legislation last week that would fund revitalization of the D.C. football stadium site.

 

Who Is the Face of the Original Redskins Logo?

 

Daines told Newsweek he is now in favor of the bill because the Indigenous family credited with designing the original logo is now satisfied with the team’s efforts to honor Walter “Blackie” Wetzel’s work. There seems to be “good faith negotiations” with the league around the old logo. It is expected to be included on alumni shirts for those who played while sporting the Redskins logo.

 

“My goal has always been to support the Wetzel family and tribal stakeholders in their goal to bring the iconic Blackfeet logo back to a place of prominence,” Daines told Newsweek. “Native Americans in Montana have diverse views on the Redskins nickname but they overwhelmingly agree that the Blackfeet logo is a symbol of pride, strength and honor. I’ve insisted that the NFL, Commanders and their corporate sponsors celebrate it, not censor it.”

 

A Commanders team spokesperson on Monday told Newsweek that there are no plans to bring the logo back. It was developed in 1971 by Wetzel, a former leader of Blackfeet Nation. The Redskins image is a composite of Native American photographs, including one featuring a Blackfeet chief.

16849: Spiritual Guidance To Avoid Stickler Shock.

 

CarGurus should trade in their name for a newer—and culturally competent—model.

16708: How To Expressly Catch A Panda.

AgencySpy posted on Panda Express choosing Opinionated as its new White advertising agency.

 

The Panda Express VP of Integrated Marketing Communications gushed, “Opinionated’s focus on family, authenticity, and transparency played a huge part in our decision to move forward with them. As did their drive to truly understand the Chinese American experience and perspective.”

 

Okay, except based on the people section of the agency website, it appears Opinionated lacks legitimate diversity that might lead to Chinese American culinary and cultural competence.

 

What’s more, AgencySpy revealed Opinionated “tapped key players from TDW + Co”—a multicultural marketing shop—to presumably gain enlightenment. This is a common tactic for White advertising agencies, albeit often a crumby consolation con for consultants of color.

 

And that’s no ancient Chinese secret.

 

Panda Express Names Opinionated as its New Creative AOR Following a Competitive Pitch

 

By Kyle O’Brien

 

Chinese restaurant chain Panda Express has selected independent agency Opinionated as its new creative AOR. The win follows a competitive review that launched in January and was led internally by the brand.

 

Panda Express—with more than 2,500 stores, 50,000 associates and nearing $6 billion in sales—is looking to the Portland, Oregon-based Opinionated to develop a strategic marketing platform that will elevate it from a well-known brand to a beloved one. The first campaign under the platform is expected to debut in January 2025 to coincide with the Lunar New Year, and will embrace the brand’s unique and rich Chinese American heritage.

 

Founded in 1983 at the Glendale Galleria in California, Panda Express is the largest family-owned and operated Asian dining concept in America. It is also one of the most successful restaurants in its category, regularly outperforming the QSR/fast casual industry.

 

The pride in its heritage and values was apparently a key element of Opinionated’s pitch and, coupled with its unique insights into the brand, played a key role in Panda Express’s decision to award the agency the business.

 

“Opinionated’s focus on family, authenticity and transparency played a huge part in our decision to move forward with them. As did their drive to truly understand the Chinese American experience and perspective,” said Fabiola del Rio, vp, integrated marketing communications, Panda Express. “We have a deep understanding of American Chinese food and culture at Panda Express and hadn’t required that expertise of the agencies, but Opinionated tapped key players from TDW + Co, a community based multicultural marketing agency, and came at our business as one solid team with a strategic vision for our brand—and they nailed it.”

 

The brand’s most recent campaign “However You Panda,” launched in Fall 2023 and centered on a series of spots that celebrated the human moments and heartfelt bonds Panda Express fans have with the cuisine. That work was created by former creative AOR, L.A.-based The Many. Prior to The Many, Panda Express worked with creative consultancy Wolfgang.

 

Media duties, which were not up for review, are handled by Pal8.

 

“We went into this pitch with a lot of passion for the heart of what Panda Express stands for as a brand,” said Mark Fitzloff, founder and chief creative officer of Opinionated. “Panda Express has a story and a culture that we are eager to express through great creative work that we hope will become as beloved as their orange chicken.”

 

Panda Express marks the latest in a string of new-business wins for Opinionated. Over the past year, the agency has added Dick’s Sporting Goods and FootJoy to its client roster, while also growing its partnerships with Adidas and Drumstick.

16405: Addressing Incompetence In The Age Of Multicultural Data.

 

MediaPost published commentary titled, “Why Cultural Competence Is Critical In The Age of Multicultural Data.” It begs the question, “Why is cultural cluelessness still so prevalent in Adland?”

 

Why Cultural Competence Is Critical In The Age of Multicultural Data

 

By Mario Carrasco

 

Programmatic media buyers know that multicultural audiences are a rapidly growing and vital market segment. However, advertisers also know that targeting these audiences can be challenging, especially for those lacking cultural competence. Cultural competence is essential for programmatic media buyers aiming to reach multicultural audiences effectively while avoiding costly mistakes.

 

What is Cultural Competence?

 

Cultural competence is the ability to understand, appreciate, and interact with people from cultural backgrounds, values, and beliefs different from one’s own. While necessary for companies and brands aspiring to reach and engage multicultural audiences meaningfully, cultural competence is essential for programmatic media buyers who rely on data-driven strategies to target their ads.

 

The absence of cultural competence in the multicultural data era can have negative consequences for marketers, so it’s important to remember the following:

 

• Data can be biased. The data that programmatic media buyers use to target ads is often collected from various sources, including social media, search engines, and online surveys. However, this data can be biased, reflecting the biases of the people who collected it and the systems they used to collect and analyze it. For example, a social media dataset might be biased toward younger users, or a search engine dataset might be biased toward people interested in specific topics.

 

Advertisers unaware of these biases could end up targeting ads to the wrong people or using offensive language in ads, risking the company’s brand reputation and alienating the target audience.

 

• Different cultures have different values and beliefs. What’s considered acceptable in one culture might be offensive in another. For example, direct eye contact is considered rude in some cultures, while others assume that those who avoid eye contact are rude. It is important to be aware of the cultural differences between the target audience and advertisers to avoid causing unintentional harm that jeopardizes brand health.

 

• Multicultural consumers are more likely to trust culturally competent brands. A study by ThinkNow found that 63% of multicultural consumers are more likely to trust brands that create ads that reflect their culture. When ads are culturally competent, they signal to the target audience that the advertiser understands them and respects their culture. This builds trust and loyalty, which can lead to more sales conversions over time.

 

Programmatic Media Tips

 

Wondering how to employ cultural competence when using programmatic media to reach multicultural audiences? Here are a few valuable tips:

 

1. Be aware of your own cultural biases. We all have cultural biases, even if we’re not always aware of them. So, the first step to becoming more culturally competent is awareness. To do this, consider taking a cultural bias assessment or talking with someone from a different cultural background. Then, embrace accountability.

 

2. Research the target audience. Once you have acknowledged your cultural biases, thoroughly research your target audience. Delve into their culture, understanding their values, customs and belief systems. This can be accomplished by immersing yourself in books and relevant articles, conversing with people from the target audience and participating in cultural events.

 

3. Use zero-party data from a cultural research company. Zero-party data is voluntarily shared with companies and organizations by customers via surveys, online forms, applications, polls, etc. Cultural research companies can collect zero-party data from multicultural consumers that deliver insights about their culture. This data can inform programmatic media plans that result in culturally responsible advertising.

 

By following these tips, advertisers can use programmatic media to reach and engage multicultural audiences respectfully and effectively.

15883: Ad Council ‘Sound It Out’ Campaign Sounds Fishy…

Sorry, but this Sound It Out campaign from Ad Council feels, well, depressingly bad. The self-promotional hype included:

 

We worked hand in hand with a panel of expert advisors who have helped ensure the results of the work you see today remain rooted in clinical expertise and are culturally competent and relevant.

 

Why would Ad Council need to engage expert advisors to deliver culturally competent content? Perhaps because the project was awarded to McCann—a White advertising agency that also recruited minority “partners” to boost the cultural competence that Ad Council and McCann absolutely lack.

 

The scenario begs the question, “Why didn’t Ad Council simply give the assignment to a culturally competent minority agency?” Seems like that would have been a sound decision.

 

Although it’s a safe bet that any rationale for the appointment delivered by the ruling parties would sound like bullshit.

15865: Delineating Data-Driven DEI…?

Advertising Age published a perspective from a trio of qualitative research experts at Ipsos, presenting “9 ways for brands to authentically connect with Black Americans.” No doubt the authors’ viewpoint was a well-intentioned effort—or maybe just an exercise to build their status as pseudo-thought leaders.

 

Regardless, the list lacks one way that trumps the other nine: Brands should hire more Black people and demand that their White advertising agencies do likewise.

 

It doesn’t take an expert to realize that.

 

Two side notes: 1) While there are a handful of articles on the topic—and the careers section includes an equal opportunity statement—the Ipsos website does not feature the standard commitment to DEI proclamation; 2) It’s hilarious that Ad Age editors illustrated a report on authentically connecting with Blacks with a royalty-free stock image (depicted above).

 

9 Ways For Brands To Authentically Connect With Black Americans

 

Best practices that can inform everything from research to content on Juneteenth and beyond

 

By Janelle James, Kim Saxon and Malinda Midkiff

 

Juneteenth-branded watermelon salad, headwraps and ice cream—we’ve been bracing ourselves as the performative product launches (and perfunctory apologies) increased in advance of Juneteenth, the newest U.S. federal holiday. A common thread connects these product failures: their lack of authentic consumer insight, their extension of harmful stereotypes and their avoidance and lack of engagement with the true meaning of the holiday. The result? These launches not only end up feeling performative but also opportunistic.

 

So, why does this matter? As more brands attempt to serve Black consumers in the U.S. and tap into their $1.4 trillion of consumer spend on Juneteenth and beyond, authentic connection becomes increasingly important.

 

How do we, as researchers, connect to and respect the individual, culture, and community as we illuminate the Black experience for brand partners? Here’s a list of best practices that can inform and inspire everything from research to content. Is the list exhaustive? No. But it’s a great start to designing more thoughtful workplace and marketplace DEI initiatives.

 

Go beyond stereotypes

 

Black Americans are acutely aware of their misrepresentation in the media. Often there is a disconnect between how they are perceived and who they are. They struggle to reconcile the two and can feel inaccurate perceptions in daily interactions. W.E.B. DuBois referred to this as ‘Double-Consciousness’ and first wrote about this theory in 1903 in his influential book, “The Souls of Black Folk.”

 

Involve Black affluents

 

Black American affluents are influencers and early adopters in many lucrative categories. Yet capturing this demographic is often missed when teams solely focus on Black ZIP codes to find Black Americans for research purposes.

 

Realize that Black immigrants are typically an unacknowledged segment

 

One in 10 Black Americans are foreign-born, and more than 20% have immigrant connections. Many strongly identify with a national heritage outside of the U.S., including Black Americans from Africa, the Caribbean and Central and South America. For this reason, Black is typically deemed to be a more inclusive term. Remember that African American is an ethnic term, not a racial one.

 

Create empathy through cultural immersion

 

Go beyond asking Black friends or colleagues for perspective. For informal opportunities, curate perspective from social media and secondary research to get a feel for top trends on race/culture and your topic. Leverage streaming services to learn from stories focused on the Black experience. And for more formal initiatives, hire an expert to inform, inspire and guide choices. Qualitative research can be an essential first line of defense for DEI initiatives. It can be creatively incorporated to this end to interrupt bias in product or communications development for everything from packaged goods to algorithms.

 

Avoid triggers

 

Anything that approximates stereotypes can be a trigger. Today, these triggers are often called microaggressions. For example, references to Black people being “articulate” can be received as a back-handed compliment, suggesting that they are not typically well-spoken.

 

Be mindful of Black trauma

 

Intergenerational trauma still impacts the Black community, frequently causing lower self-esteem, lower health outcomes and internalized oppression (such as ascribing to colorism and believing that lighter skin tones are more acceptable). Intergenerational trauma is not unique to African Americans. Formerly oppressed or colonized people often experience lasting effects. ‘Han,’ for instance, is a Korean term describing an internalized and collective response to Korea’s long history of suffering from being invaded by foreign powers.

 

Understand systemic racism

 

Even without racist people, systemic racism means that the laws, processes or routines in institutions contribute to unfavorable outcomes for a race of people. Discriminatory lending practices that created barriers to homeownership and wealth accumulation for Black Americans offer an important example of systemic racism at play. Being aware of how U.S. institutions are not centered on Black experiences and can cause harm are critical to connecting.

 

Anticipate key intersectional experiences

 

While race is a primary lens through which many Black Americans experience the world, no group is a monolith and race is only one part of identity. Although Black Americans share a racial identity, their incomes, religions, nationalities, abilities and many other factors make them exceptionally diverse. Intersectionality acknowledges that identities are not independent. They converge to generate varying levels of privilege and discrimination. Anticipating how a Black woman might react or experience a new product means examining it for both racist and sexist implications. Gender is not the only intersecting identity to consider. Ability, sexuality, age, citizenship and income are all valuable perspectives to have, along with race.

 

Remember, they’re not just consumers

 

Like all races, Black people are multifaceted. However, they are disproportionately portrayed as servants, entertainers, criminals or as one-dimensional characters. Moreover, while many brands and research agencies will prioritize diverse respondents for B2C initiatives, often that practice is not extended to B2B initiatives. Diverse groups of employees, leaders, investors, doctors, influencers, technologists, engineers, etc., should all be included in research that informs brand work.