In the U.S., using Mob and Mafioso stereotypes usually draws the ire of Italian-American groups. Yet DDB in Russia went ahead and depicted Russian gangsters shopping for a new Volkswagen—with the salesman presenting all the features for hauling dead bodies. Somebody shoulda whacked the responsible creative team.
At More About Advertising, Editor Stephen Foster posed interesting questions regarding the Wendy Clark-Ted Royer fiasco that few folks are openly asking. While the questions were inspired by Clark and Royer, the inquiries really apply to the broader dilemma—or “the biggest issue facing every industry and society today,” according to Cindy Gallop.
In one report, Foster wondered the following:
It also raises the important question of when, if ever, is someone who’s been banished from an agency allowed back into the industry. Does management have to make it, in effect, a democratic decision?
In a subsequent post, Foster went further by remarking as follows:
But you have to feel for the highly talented Royer too. He’s lost one of the best jobs in agencies although hasn’t been convicted of anything. Is he now unable to work in advertising, even in a freelance capacity? Clark might have done better to defend him, not on the grounds that DDB needed him and but that everybody deserves a second chance.
To answer Foster’s first question, someone “banished” from an agency is allowed back into the industry in roughly six months, as demonstrated by the Gustavo Martinez and Royer scenarios. And it’s closer to five months if you count Kevin Roberts and his gender equality gaffe. Additionally, the returns by Martinez and Royer do not appear to have happened via democratic decisions. On a side note, can somebody please identify Clark’s co-conspirators in Royer’s comeback? Surely DDB CCO Ari Weiss played a role, as it would be outrageous to learn Clark is choosing creative consultants on her own. Man up, already.
To address Foster’s second point, no, you don’t “have to feel for the highly talented Royer too.” It could be easily argued the man is a dinosaur. Especially in this era of TIME’S UP, #MeToo and divertsity movements, shouldn’t leaders take greater care to foster safe, fair and dignified workplaces? Granted, the advertising industry has a long history of ignoring and defying any attempts at diversity. But failing to adapt to societal trends is certainly grounds for ejection from a field that boasts being on the cutting edge of culture. Royer might have mad skills for commercial campaigns, but he’s got Mad Men skills in key areas that are now basic job requirements.
It’s probably true that Royer has not been convicted of anything. Hey, sexual harassment isn’t typically labeled a crime unless it features sexual assault. Inferring from Droga5’s PR statement, Royer’s alleged behavior created a hostile work environment, which put the agency at risk on a host of ethical and legal levels—and also potentially endangered the well-being of employees. The confidential nature of HR procedures prohibits public disclosure of details surrounding most terminations, making it almost impossible to learn the truth. Trade publications, however, reported Droga5 hired outside investigators to build the case to fire Royer. And Diet Madison Avenue targeted Royer too. So if everyone did their due diligence, there were legitimate reasons for the dismissal. Royer is certainly free to pull a Ralph Watson move and dispute the accusations if he’s been wronged.
Oh, and Royer ultimately wasn’t talented enough, as DDB experienced elimination from the Volkswagen pitch—beaten out by WPP and Publicis, which is downright embarrassing and emblematic of the industry’s sorry state. The agency that made Volkswagen an iconic brand lost to one company founded as a wire shopping basket manufacturer and another jilted by Omnicom after a grand engagement announcement.
As for Clark defending Royer, well, that would have been tricky, given the woman’s actions are indefensible. After all, she’s supposed to be representing TIME’S UP/Advertising and advocating for gender equality. Hell, it could be easily argued Clark is a dinosaur too—and a desperate dinosaur to boot—because in the end, DDB didn’t need Royer.
Finally, Foster’s contention “that everybody deserves a second chance” is actually valid, albeit not without restrictions. Unfortunately, in this era of TIME’S UP, #MeToo and divertsity movements, forgiveness has not yet entered the conversation—except for idiots like Clark. Refusing to kiss and make up is understandable, as sexual harassment has been conducted, concealed and condoned for too long. On the flipside, absolution comes easier when the perpetrator has made amends. An amends, incidentally, is not an apology, but rather, a commitment to live differently. Additionally, the amends would be unique for each perpetrator, depending on lots of factors including the extent of damages. Who will serve as a worthy judge in such acquittals? Definitely not Clark, Diet Madison Avenue or Gallop. And no, Kat Gordon, please don’t integrate the notion into your lame certification program.
AgencySpy posted on rumors that Omnicom and DDB were eliminated from the North American portion of the global Volkswagen pitch. Hey, somebody tell DDB Global President and CEO Wendy Clark that Joe Alexander and Tham Khai Meng are available to freelance on any remaining regional shootouts.
Check out this Audi commercial from Venables Bell & Partners and this Volkswagen commercial from Deutsch. Two spots for German automakers created by White advertising agencies feature the Mary Tyler Moore Show theme song. That’s the power of exclusivity.
February is Reggae Month in Jamaica. Gee, maybe Volkswagen and Deutsch are making a deliberate tribute with the “Get Happy” advertising campaign.
Advertising Age reported “advocates from the Caribbean-American and expat communities” have come to the rescue of Volkswagen, supporting the automaker against critics who cried racism over a new commercial featuring non-Jamaicans speaking with Jamaican accents. For the record, MultiCultClassics is not convinced the spot in question is racist. After all, Volkswagen had initially launched its “Get Happy” concept with Jamaican artist Jimmy Cliff, so the spot appears to be an extension of sorts. On an abstract level, is it really much different than Allstate showing people speaking with Dennis Haysbert’s voice? To be clear, this blog’s opinion doesn’t diminish or disqualify the critics’ opinions, as everyone is free to feel offense based on their personal perspectives. Regardless, MultiCultClassics does wonder about the “advocates from the Caribbean-American and expat communities” now standing behind Volkswagen. Do the pro-Beetle backers include the 100 Jamaicans and speech coach that Volkswagen and ad agency Deutsch allegedly consulted when producing the commercial? More importantly, do the advocates realize Deutsch reflects and represents an industry where Jamaicans and Jamaican-Americans are marginalized via advertising campaigns and employment practices? The supporters gushed, “In one fell swoop, the ad directors have superimposed Jamaicans’ reputation for being hardworking … as well as our reputation for having a laid back, positive, don’t-worry-about-a-thing disposition on the character of the Volkswagen.” Forget that the statement reads like the work of Deutsch staffers. Let’s see what happens if a hardworking Jamaican-American tries to land a job at an agency such as Deutsch. Would the advocates be happy to learn the truth about Madison Avenue?
Caribbean Community: VW Super Bowl Ad Isn’t Offensive—Its Critics Are
Group Says Volkswagen Spot Actually Honors Jamaican Culture
By Ann-Christine Diaz
Columnists for major media outlets including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal have criticized Volkswagen’s Super Bowl spot featuring a white office worker speaking in a Jamaican accent for being racist, but the U.S. Caribbean community has issued quite a different response to the ad: “No Problem, Man!” Indeed, it’s condemning the critics themselves.
The U.S.-based Institute of Caribbean Studies and the and the Caribbean Heritage Organization, advocates for the Caribbean-American and expat communities, have issued a joint statement praising the spot, which was created by Deutsch, Los Angeles, and shows a Minnesotan man attempting to lift the spirits of his officemates on a dreary Monday by speaking to them in Jamaican patois.
“We find the commercial amusing and indeed a fascinating example of subtlety in subliminal messaging,” the statement said. “In one fell swoop, the ad directors have superimposed Jamaicans’ reputation for being hardworking … as well as our reputation for having a laid back, positive, don’t-worry-about-a-thing disposition on the character of the Volkswagen. And yes, the accent in the commercial is not perfect, but it certainly is recognizable.”
Moreover, the community singles out the ad’s critics, not its creators, for being the offensive ones. “What we find problematic and bordering on offensive are the mostly non-Jamaican critics, who contend that the commercial is racist, with some going as far as saying that it’s like putting a Black face on White and Asian,” the latter referring to a statement made by N.Y. Times columnist Charles Blow during an appearance on CNN.
“We hasten to assure the viewing public that being Jamaican, just like being American, is a nationality and not a race. Any one of the actors featured in the commercial could be a native Jamaican. … Most Jamaicans are of African ancestry (that is to say Black), but Jamaica also is home to a significant mixed-race and diverse racial population … in keeping with the Jamaican National Motto, ‘Out of Many One People.’”
According to the organizations’ representative, Marva Griffiths Herman, “What really got our attention was the word ‘racism.’ What’s so racist about this? Everyone in the commercial could be a Jamaican. It seems people aren’t aware of the rich heritage of the Caribbean people. My family and friends are of Chinese, African, Jewish descent. The oldest synagogue in the western hemisphere is in the Caribbean. There’s an overwhelming support in the Jamaican community for the ad.”
“I think the [critics’] assumption is that there are no white people who speak like that,” added Dr. Claire Nelson, architect for the campaign to dedicate June as National Caribbean-American Heritage Month. “The Jamaican accent is not a black accent.”
“The Volkswagen brand is known for being a sturdy, working-class car, but still has style,” she said. “It’s an iconic brand, so when you use a Jamaican accent to represent that—how can that be offensive? We’re quite tickled that of all the accents in the world, they picked a Jamaican one. Had it been an ad for a donkey cart, it might have been offensive. I’d like to go on the record as a Jamaican who’s very visible in the Caribbean community and has discussed this with many of my colleagues: ‘Let the ad go on.’ Our goal is to get as many people on board in support of the ad.”
The New York Daily News reported on the controversy surrounding a new Volkswagen commercial featuring non-Jamaican people speaking with Jamaican accents. New York Times columnist Charles Blow declared it was “like blackface with voices.” The German carmaker defended itself by revealing it had consulted 100 Jamaicans during production and hired a speech coach to ensure authenticity. Perhaps the most peculiar critique came from culturally clueless Curator of Popular Culture Barbara Lippert, who appeared on the TODAY Show and hollered, “This is so racist. … It’s just saying, ‘Black people are happy.’” Huh? Guess all of Lippert’s years in the advertising industry didn’t expose her to any happy Blacks. Oddly enough, in a 2007 Adweek column, Lippert took no offense to the revival of Uncle Ben.
Volkswagen Super Bowl ad provokes intense criticism: ‘blackface with voices’
The ire comes from the use of a heavy Jamaican accent by a white office worker, who tells his disgruntled colleagues, ‘No worries, man, everything will be alright.’
By Adam Edelman / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
A Volkswagen ad slated to air during the Super Bowl this Sunday is getting criticized for being racist.
The controversial ad features a jovial white office worker speaking to disgruntled colleagues with a thick Jamaican accent.
The spot has already elicited intense criticism with one prominent essayist calling the ad, “blackface with voices.”
In the one-minute advertisement, which is thought to have cost the carmaker $8 million for the airtime, a group of unhappy employees are shown standing in an elevator complaining about it being Monday.
Behind them, a young, spirited, white employee turns to them and says, “no worries, man, everything will be alright,” in a heavy Jamaican accent.
In another scene, an annoyed worker is seen pounding at a vending machine.
The man tells him, “Don’t fret, my brother, sticky bun come soon,” again in the Jamaican accent.
At one point a confused colleague confirms that the employee is, in fact, from Minnesota. “Yessa, the land of 10,000 lakes. The Gopher State,” he responds in the accent.
At the end of the spot, the man is seen driving away from the office in his Volkswagen car with two of his colleagues, who upon arriving at their destination, spout similarly optimistic phrases in the same Jamaican accent.
The ad prompted a barrage of critics to accuse Volkswagen of being racist.
“This is so racist,” Barbara Lippert, editor-at-large of Mediapost.com, said on TODAY. “It’s just saying, ‘Black people are happy.’”
And during a segment on CNN’s Starting Point with Soledad O’Brien, columnist Charles Blow said the ad was “like blackface with voices. I don’t like that.”
For its part Volkswagen representatives told CNN that the company consulted with 100 Jamaicans and a speech coach to make sure they weren’t being offensive.
