13007: Geometry Global Garbage.

Campaign diverted diversity by publishing White male-bashing bullshit by Geometry Global Creative Director Kate Kemp. The pathetic pap opened with a Cindy Gallop quote: “Men are hired and promoted on potential, women are hired and promoted on proof.” Um, Gallop and Kemp would be hard-pressed to present proof for that statement. Sorry, but White women are hired and promoted for the same silly reasons as White men. Meanwhile, minorities aren’t hired and promoted at all—except for segregated roles like receptionist, mailroom attendant, janitorial maintenance, security and Chief Diversity Officer.

Kemp offered three resolutions for White women success: 1) Do Less; 2) Brag More and; 3) Party Often. Applying the trio of tips to minorities underscores the true inequities. For starters, minorities must do less with less—that is, less respect, fewer resources and crumbs. Bragging is pointless when you’re a receptionist, mailroom attendant, janitor, security guard or Chief Diversity Officer. As for partying, minorities are only invited when they’re serving as entertainment or waitstaff.

BTW, Kemp ought to direct her gripes at the predominately White male leadership running her own agency.

Geometry Global creative director gives you three resolutions you can actually keep

“Men are hired and promoted on potential, women are hired and promoted on proof.” — Cindy Gallop

This quote sucks. But it’s true. And it results in women feeling they have to do more than their male counterparts. However — as backwards as it may seem — we’re more likely to succeed when we stop working so hard.

Why not commit to taking a step back this year in order to get further ahead? Here are three work-related commitments you’ll actually be able to keep:

Do less

The longer you’ve been in the industry, the more people you’ll meet in executive roles who make you ask yourself, “How did he get this job?! He has no idea what he’s doing!”

When you’ve worked the weekend to put together a presentation complete with concepts, budgets and next steps, and you come into the office bleary-eyed to see an email that Mitch — who did nothing all weekend but post Instagram photos of his kickball game — just received a promotion, it can be infuriating.

While showing that you can do everything can be impressive, those angling for the corner office must also show that they can inspire and motivate a team to move toward a goal together. Mitch enjoyed his weekend because he pulled in other teammates to help him out. While this approach may seem like a lazy move, it’s actually a strategic one … an executive-level one … one that prevents exhaustion, isolation and frustration while getting to the same goal.

There are a couple of caveats to the Mitch Method:

1. Ensure you’re able to survive without your go-to delegates. The less you know how to do on your own, the less valuable you look on paper, which is dangerous during budget cuts.

2. Always give credit to your support crew. If you constantly hog the spotlight, be prepared for the day when the stagehand removes the light bulb, proving to a massive audience that you have no clue how to replace it yourself.

Letting go and asking for help is ridiculously hard to do.

Brag more


You may not have heard male executives venting about inequities, but you’ve probably heard the crack of their celebratory high-fives over business wins. Naturally, women see this as a cocky move. That’s because, as we grow up, little girls are told that bragging is impolite. We’re taught that the sunshine and rainbows we feel in our hearts is reward enough for doing something well.

Well, in the business world, that view is bullshit.

Here’s the thing: if you don’t broadcast your accomplishments to your superiors, they won’t know you were behind them. Then, when it’s time for promotions, you’ll get passed up.

My five-step formula for success has resulted in every major promotion and raise I’ve received:

1. Forward kudos from clients and colleagues to my boss.

2. Showcase my strongest projects within my updated portfolio. (This move not only makes it easier for your boss to push for your new title and salary, it proves that you’re ready to interview elsewhere.)

3. Present my desired salary based off the most recent industry rates in my city.

4. Ask what I need to accomplish in order to get my next raise/title so I can continue tracking progress.

5. Repeat.

Keep your pitch short and sweet and arm your boss with what he or she needs to push for your raise or title change. Creating a leave-behind your boss can share is important, too. It’s up to you to take the initiative and prove you’re ready for something bigger and better.

Party often


The further you move up the food chain, the more important bonding outside the office becomes. For those of us who prefer recharging from a rough day with a pint of ice cream in one hand and a remote in the other, this is not great news.

If you want to excuse yourself from every invite, that’s your choice. Just know that, by making it, you’re also excusing yourself from off-the-record conversations, idea exchanges, and getting to know your colleagues and clients as people. Plus, according to a statistic I just made up, people are 98.91% more likely to talk trash about you when you consistently decline their invitations.

Emails, texts and phone calls connect us to information, but not each other. Spending face time with those in your industry is the best way to develop solid relationships. Plus, if no one understands who you are or what you stand for, they’ll make something up. And you probably won’t like their version of your story.

Committing to doing less, bragging more and partying often is way more attainable than eating nothing but free-range tofu, reorganizing your apartment into a zen meditation space and calling your mom every day. Be real, take care of yourself, and enjoy a fresh approach in the new year.

Kate Kemp is creative director with Geometry Global.

13006: Northwestern Mutual Mixed Up.

This Northwestern Mutual commercial encourages you to “Live Life Differently”—by depicting an interracial family. Wow, that’s different.

13005: Print Your Exclusivity.

Not too keen on this “Print Your Legacy” campaign for Epson. The company is apparently “Honored to Have the Trust of the World’s Most Revered Artists.” Okay, but why does it look like “the World’s Most Revered Artists” are exclusively White people? Maybe because White advertising agency M&C Saatchi LA is behind the work? Sure, Epson sneaked in some diversity by showing non-Whites as the subjects of photographs. But the printer maker seems to be lacking the ability to operate in full color.

13004: Let It Snowz.

From The New York Times…

‘Skin Whitener’ Ad Sparks Criticism in Thailand

By Katie Rogers

A Thai beauty company that sells skin-whitening products pulled a recent video advertisement after viewers were offended that the ad showed an actress in blackface and compared her unfavorably to a light-skinned woman.

The ad was for Snowz, a skin-whitening pill manufactured by the company Seoul Secret. Viewers were incensed that Cris Horwang, a Thai actress, appeared in blackface. Viewers also took offense at other parts of the video, especially the slogan “You just need to be white to win,” Reuters reported.

On Friday, Seoul Secret published an apology on Facebook and said that the company was pulling the video and all related advertisements.

“Our company did not have any intention to convey discriminatory or racist messages,” the statement read. “What we intended to convey was that self-improvement in terms of personality, appearance, skills, and professionality is crucial.”

The Asia-Pacific region is the largest market in the world for skin lighteners, and the global market for such products is projected to become a business worth $23 billion by 2020, according to a 2015 report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., a market research firm. For years, companies have aggressively marketed whiteness as the de facto beauty standard in Asian cultures. Words like “radiance” and “perfect” have been used by Olay and L’Oréal to sell to Asian markets.

Ads for products including supplements, drinks and creams can come with blunt and even invasive messaging: A 2012 ad promised that a product would make women’s intimate areas “bright and translucent.”

But Thai companies in particular have been criticized for ridiculing woman and young girls who have dark skin. In Thai culture, dark skin is associated with farmers, a lower-status group of people who have been darkened by the sun. White skin signifies a higher class and beauty standard. The craze for a lighter complexion has caused women to resort to unregulated and illegal products that promise a brighter tone but damage their skin.

In recent years, Thai advertisements have been criticized for being overtly racist. In 2013, the Thai company Vernena was accused of mocking people of African descent for an ad that featured a woman who used a berry drink to change her appearance from dark- to light-skinned. The ad showed an evolution from her old self compared with the African appearance and accent of a man who appears to be her father.

That same year, Citra Thailand, a subsidiary of Unilever, apologized after it offered “scholarship” cash prizes to college students who used a product to lighten their skin, according to The Chiang Rai Times, a Thai newspaper. In the past, the company had published ads that showed a young girl finding acceptance after using a whitening lotion.

On Friday, people on social media continued to debate Seoul Secrets’ apology for its contribution to marketing misstep history.

“Don’t buy,” wrote one critic. “Such a lame excuse.”

Others were not convinced the company had done anything wrong.

“I do not see a problem with your video,” another person wrote. “If people do not like skin whitening, just don’t do it.”

13003: B.S. From The Belgium Boys.

Adfreak reported on a campaign from Belgium, where top advertising executives are donating sperm and eggs to “ensure the nation’s creative future.” The goal is to perpetuate the creative ranks through selective breeding. Um, this is clearly one of the most racist endeavors in advertising history, reminiscent of Aryanism. The print ads for the campaign tell the story, in terms of the White maleness of the project. What’s so outrageous is the reality that typical hiring practices in our industry make the campaign completely unnecessary. That is, advertising agencies will extend the exclusivity via cronyism, nepotism, racism and all the other isms that have worked for generations. Sorry, but this idea is nothing more than a circle jerk for self-promotion and awards.

13002: Nils Leonard Has A Dream.

The year ahead for advertising agencies by Grey London Chairman and Chief Creative Officer Nils Leonard originally appeared at Campaign, serving as the perfect puke to kick off 2016 in adland.

Leonard opened by sharing his annoyance with a Grey staffer who ordered ten white lilies a day to decorate their office. “I have nothing against flowers. Or against the person ordering them. A bunch of flowers might seem small. But they became a symbol of something bigger for me,” explained Leonard. “A symbol of shitness. Of worrying about the wrong stuff. That someone chose to tend over this floral spurt, every day, rather than look to the hard stuff, freaked me out.” Talk about missing the big picture. Would Leonard ever consider looking to “the hard stuff” in terms of changing the lily-White advertising agency he’s leading? The abysmal lack of inclusiveness at shops like Grey is “a symbol of shitness” that demands breakthrough solutions, Mr. Leonard.

Additional noteworthy nonsense included, “2016 is the year we make a choice. Make ads or make culture. They’re rarely the same thing. And I know what the talented ones would rather spend their time creating.” Okay, but it’s tough to create culture when you’re a culturally clueless coward. Leonard also declared, “So stop worrying about how things were before. Leave comfort, the old model and the past far behind. Strategist or suit, creative or client, regardless of discipline, experience, age, sex and colour, I hope you had a good rest over the break. Because this year we set fire to some ships.” How appropriate for Leonard to present a progressive list where gender appears before race and ethnicity. Look forward to losers like Leonard promoting more White women in 2016 and the years ahead, acting under the guise of revolutionary activism—and ultimately perpetuating “how things were before” and embracing “the old model and the past” in regards to hiring practices that fuel exclusivity and discrimination. Leonard closed by boldly proclaiming his intent to “set fire to some ships.” Um, it’s safe to predict that in adland, minorities will remain in the same boat—or slave ship—for quite some time.

13001: Millennial Mumblings.

Oh, look! Campaign spotlighted a Black person who isn’t dead and/or hyping diversity. SBTV Founder Jamal Edwards shared his thoughts on advertising to millennials—or the DIY generation. “The DIY generation wants authenticity in 2016,” according to Edwards. Actually, the conclusion is a cliché, as every generation wants authenticity every year. Regardless, it will be difficult to deliver on Edwards’ declaration while the majority of advertising agencies are exclusively White and culturally clueless.

13000: Delayed WTF 32—Creativity 50 + 0.

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.

Advertising Age presented “The Creativity 50 2015: The Most Creative People of the Year.” The list showed diversity, although there were no Black people recognized as “Advertising Innovators,” probably because the group remains grossly underrepresented—and is actually declining in numbers—in the field. Why was Ad Age able to identify creative Blacks across a variety of industries, yet unable to spot a worthy candidate on Madison Avenue? And how do the Blacks among The Creativity 50 2015 feel about that?

12999: Seeking White Doves…?

A MultiCultClassics visitor provided the casting spec sheet depicted above, and it’s a real beauty. Unilever’s Dove Men is looking for a “real family” that can be Caucasian, Hispanic or Ambiguous, with “good hair” and “light color skin.” Oh, and they must be non-union too, meaning they’ll receive crumbs for their services. Didn’t Dove learn its lesson in 2011 with another ugly mess demonstrating the brand’s cultural cluelessness? Maybe it’s time to change the product name to Dove White Men.

12998: VB&P & Exclusivity.

Adweek published a story titled, “How Venables Bell & Partners Scored a 70% Pitch Rate in 2015.” Forget the pitch rate—check out the People section of the agency’s website. The place appears to be well over 70% White. Score one more for diverted diversity and exclusivity.

How Venables Bell & Partners Scored a 70% Pitch Rate in 2015

Agency says leadership and listening are key

By Patrick Coffee

“We have a mantra on the wall of our office: ‘Honest. Fearless. Independent.’ At our best we are that, and we hit it hard this year.”

So president Paul Birks-Hay recaps what was a very successful 2015 for San Francisco’s Venables Bell & Partners. The agency kicked off last year by making several big changes to its leadership team as founder Paul Venables became chairman, Kate Jeffers was promoted from head of client services to partner/managing director, and Birks-Hay moved from the managing director role to become partner and president, giving full control of the creative department to executive creative director Will McGinness (who was also named one of Adweek’s 30 creatives whose work keep advertising interesting).

The team then proceeded to win a considerable majority of its pitches in 2015, picking up a slew of new clients including Celebrity Cruises, Adidas Golf, Blue Moon, PlayStation Vue and REI, whose anti-Black Friday #OptOutside campaign amounted to a media coup for the outdoor brand. In fact, Birks-Hay says that the agency ultimately scored a 70 percent win rate on its pitches in 2015—the same as that of Adweek’s U.S. Agency of the Year, BBDO.

“The trick with new business is gaining momentum,” says Birks-Hay, who credits the new leadership team with this year’s win streak. “Once you’re rolling, it’s a fantastic feeling.”

He tells Adweek that the key to starting that process in 2015 was listening to prospective clients: “We will never know as much as our clients do about their business, so you put your ear to the ground and listen to every single person you encounter.”

McGinness adds, “In 2015 we got into a good rhythm of collaboration. People enjoy rolling up their sleeves and solving problems as a group.” While the process can often prove stressful, “getting people excited to pitch is the difference.”

Beyond the wins, Venables also created several notable campaigns in 2015 including the Reebok Super Bowl spot, “Be More Human,” and Google’s forward-thinking look at the gender transition process. McGinness says independence and variety are key: “It’s helpful that we don’t have a house style. We also don’t have off-the-shelf solutions in terms of how we staff or approach bits of business,” and this philosophy gives VB&P a certain dexterity that larger agencies may lack.

Birks-Hay says VB&P aims for variety in its service offerings as well as its creative efforts. “Our Orange Consultancy works with a number of clients in order to not just build a brand from the marketing side but to bring it to life at every touchpoint, from working on the retail consumer experience for Audi to designing an app for a financial company.”

“We like to work in as integrated a way as possible,” says Birks-Hay, and he’s very particular about the way his agency approaches the concept of integration. “Saying ‘digitally-focused’ amounts to hiding. We want to answer both sides of the brief: what kind of brand are you building and how are you bringing it to life in every part of the customer’s experience?”

VB&P also got more serious about social media in 2015 by formalizing its guidelines.

“It’s important for clients to understand the systematic rigor of our social approach,” says McGinness. “Not to oversimplify, because a lot of work goes into social, but at its core you have the thinking and creativity. All ideas are inherently social (or should be), but you can’t force things on people; they have to be stories that people care about.”

Despite its focus on independence, VB&P doesn’t see itself as a “challenger” agency taking on the big names. McGinness says, “Brand building is becoming a lost art to some extent; agencies have momentary flashes of brilliance, but they’re not looking at holistic growth of the brand across all media and all incarnations. That is the tried-and-true thing that matters just as much today as it ever did, whether you’re a ‘challenger’ or not.”

In terms of extending VB&P’s track record into 2016, Birks-Hay turns again to integration, this time in the pitching process: “Almost all clients see the need for a creative lead to cover all their bases … those are the kinds of pitches we see ourselves in, and long may it be so.”

12997: Going Bananas.

Is this some sort of subliminal message from Pornhub?

12996: Ray Barrett Memorial.

Campaign posted an announcement for a memorial service to celebrate the late Ray Barrett. Sadly, it seems like the only times Campaign spotlights Black people is for stories involving diversity or death.

Memorial date set for award-winning director Ray Barrett

By John Tylee

An evening celebrating the life of Ray Barrett, the multi-award winning art director who died in September, is to be held in London next Monday.

The event will begin at 6.30pm at the Union Club, 50 Greek Street, London W1D 4EQ. Anybody who knew him is welcome to attend.

Barrett, one of Britain’s first black creative directors, died aged 57 in Toronto where he had been working at The Conversation Farm, having spent more than three decades working in UK advertising.

It resulted in two Cannes Gold Lions as well as D&AD and Campaign awards during a career spanning FCB, DDB Court Burkitt, Ogilvy & Mather, WCRS, Barrett Cernis and Manchester’s BJL.

Further details of the evening are available from Barrett’s former business partner, Justin Cernis (justin@thecerniscollective.com).

12995: HBR Report Shows BS.

A MultiCultClassics visitor pointed out a Harvard Business Review report on the dubious effectiveness of diversity policies in U.S. companies. The report title capsulizes the content: Diversity Policies Don’t Help Women or Minorities, and They Make White Men Feel Threatened. Not sure there’s anything surprising in the report, as much of this is common knowledge and common sense—plus, it’s territory already covered in the 2008 book, Corporate Tribalism, by Thomas Kochman and Jean Mavrelis. It’s interesting that the authors of the HBR report appear to be White women, as White women represent the group that has most benefited from affirmative action and arguably reaps the rewards of diversity policies, at least in terms of allowing companies to boost diversity hiring figures by including White women.

Regarding the advertising industry, the HBR report doesn’t really apply—mostly because there are no true diversity policies on Madison Avenue. Rather, White advertising agencies are delegating diversity to semi-token Chief Diversity Officers, or shops have diverted diversity by jumping onto the White women bandwagon. Indeed, White women are nearly as responsible as White men for the exclusivity in the field. Plus, minorities are segregated to multicultural marketing to face further inequality and second-class citizenship. Then the half-hearted, fully discriminatory efforts are saluted with ADCOLOR® Awards and shiny trophies. You don’t need a Harvard MBA to prove any of this bullshit.

Diversity Policies Don’t Help Women or Minorities, and They Make White Men Feel Threatened

By Tessa L. Dover, Cheryl R. Kaiser and Brenda Major

U.S. companies spend millions annually on diversity programs and policies. Mission statements and recruitment materials touting companies’ commitment to diversity are ubiquitous. And many managers are tasked with the complex goal of “managing diversity” — which can mean anything from ensuring equal employment opportunity compliance, to instituting cultural sensitivity training programs, to focusing on the recruitment and retention of minorities and women.

Are all of these efforts working? In terms of increasing demographic diversity, the answer appears to be not really. The most commonly used diversity programs do little to increase representation of minorities and women. A longitudinal study of over 700 U.S. companies found that implementing diversity training programs has little positive effect and may even decrease representation of black women.

Most people assume that diversity policies make companies fairer for women and minorities, though the data suggest otherwise. Even when there is clear evidence of discrimination at a company, the presence of a diversity policy leads people to discount claims of unfair treatment. In previous research, we’ve found that this is especially true for members of dominant groups and those who tend to believe that the system is generally fair.

All this has a real effect in court. In a 2011 Supreme Court class action case, Walmart successfully used the mere presence of its anti-discrimination policy to defend itself against allegations of gender discrimination. And Walmart isn’t alone: the “diversity defense” often succeeds, making organizations less accountable for discriminatory practices.

There’s another way the rhetoric of diversity can result in inaccurate and counterproductive beliefs. In a recent experiment, we found evidence that it not only makes white men believe that women and minorities are being treated fairly — whether that’s true or not — it also makes them more likely to believe that they themselves are being treated unfairly.

We put young white men through a hiring simulation for an entry-level job at a fictional technology firm. For half of the “applicants,” the firm’s recruitment materials briefly mentioned its pro-diversity values. For the other half, the materials did not mention diversity. In all other ways, the firm was described identically. All of the applicants then underwent a standardized job interview while we videotaped their performance and measured their cardiovascular stress responses.

Compared to white men interviewing at the company that did not mention diversity, white men interviewing for the pro-diversity company expected more unfair treatment and discrimination against whites. They also performed more poorly in the job interview, as judged by independent raters. And their cardiovascular responses during the interview revealed that they were more stressed.

Thus, pro-diversity messages signaled to these white men that they might be undervalued and discriminated against. These concerns interfered with their interview performance and caused their bodies to respond as if they were under threat. Importantly, diversity messages led to these effects regardless of these men’s political ideology, attitudes toward minority groups, beliefs about the prevalence of discrimination against whites, or beliefs about the fairness of the world. This suggests just how widespread negative responses to diversity may be among white men: the responses exist even among those who endorse the tenets of diversity and inclusion.

In another set of experiments, we found that diversity initiatives also seem to do little to convince minorities that companies will treat them more fairly. Participants from ethnic minorities viewed a pro-diversity company as no more inclusive, no better to work for, and no less likely to discriminate against minorities than a company without a pro-diversity stance. (Other researchers have seen more promising results of pro-diversity rhetoric and images, but it’s clear they’re no panacea.)

The implications of this study are troubling for the ways we currently attempt to manage diversity and foster inclusion in our organizations. Groups that typically occupy positions of power may feel alienated and vulnerable when their company claims to value diversity. This may be one explanation for the lackluster success of most diversity management attempts: when people feel threatened, they may resist efforts to make the workplace more inclusive.

So what can managers do? First, they must appreciate the potential effect of diversity messages on groups that have traditionally been favored in organizations. Of course, this isn’t to say that managers should avoid discussions about or efforts to increase diversity in order to spare the feelings of their white male employees. However, managers committed to fostering a diverse workplace may need to spend a bit more time crafting messages and designing programs that are more effective because they come across as more inclusive.

Second, managers should know the limits of diversity initiatives for minorities and women. Currently, diversity initiatives’ strongest accomplishment may actually be protecting the organization from litigation — not protecting the interests of underrepresented groups. Women and minorities thrive in environments that support diversity. But extolling the values of diversity and trying to train employees to value it may not convince minorities and women that they will be treated well, and may not increase their representation in the workforce. In order to foster fair, inclusive workplaces, diversity initiatives must incorporate accountability. They must be more than “colorful window dressing” that unintentionally angers a substantial portion of the workforce. Diversity policies must be researched, assessed for effectiveness, and implemented with care so that everyone in the workplace can feel valued and supported.

Tessa L. Dover is a Ph.D. candidate in Social Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research examines the experiences of high-status and low-status groups in an increasingly diverse world.

Cheryl R. Kaiser is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Washington, where she teaches and conducts research addressing the psychology of diversity.

Brenda Major is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She studies the psychology of prejudice, diversity, and resilience.

12994: Wendy Clark’s DDBullshit.

Adweek interviewed incoming DDB North America CEO and President Wendy Clark, and the Q&A included the following:

How will you measure success?

The highest metric is going to be the recruitment and retention of talent. If you’ve got the talent, and you’ve got people who want to put every ounce of their energy and their thinking into creating our clients’ businesses and outcomes, then the other things will fall into place. The awards and the revenue growth and everything else will come from peoples’ belief and desire to create the best work of their life.

Great. Clark’s imperative for recruitment and retention of talent makes no reference to diversity. As previously predicted, expect Clark to divert diversity by improving opportunities for White women at DDB. Thank heaven Omnicom Chief Diversity Officer Tiffany R. Warren is there to ensure other minority groups are addressed—when she’s not too busy dealing with ADCOLOR® Awards.

BTW, why does Clark’s photo look like a promotional shot for a network sitcom?

12993: Strong Women, Weak Prediction.

MediaCom Chief Strategy Officer Sue Unerman predicts strong women will be a big trend in 2016; hence, advertising agencies should avoid depicting female stereotypes. Of course, Unerman has little to say about stereotyping minorities, as non-White groups are woefully underrepresented in advertising. It’s so much easier to promote White women and ultimately divert diversity in 2016 and beyond. Amazing to realize Unerman works for Karen Blackett.

Strong women on the rise will be big trend in 2016

By Sue Unerman

If you’re planning content or communications to target women in 2016, ditch the old stereotypes.

“If she doesn’t do the challenge, then Beyonce will weep.” That was Vicky Pattison talking about Lady Colin Campbell’s first jungle challenge on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity a month ago.

Pattison, who the Radio Times quaintly characterised as being famous for “getting drunk and shouting a lot on MTV’s Geordie Shore”, painted a picture of an alliance of strong women everywhere who must not let each other down.

Even if Lady C had no idea of who Beyonce is and vice versa, it’s a nice thought that they would get on if they met, and that Lady C – the clever casting choice of this year’s I’m A Celebrity – is part of a league of strong women whether she likes it or not.

This is not the only current outing of strong women in media.

The latest instalment of Hunger Games has stormed the box office in the US and the franchise is opening a dystopian theme park in Dubai. The rides will include a “lavish” rollercoaster, built to imitate the train in which Katniss and Peeta make the dark journey to the Capitol. Thrilling.

Katniss, the heroine of the franchise, is a fighter of course. So is Lady C. They are strong, assertive, competitive women.

Strong women who are everywhere, except, as J. Walter Thompson’s global board planning director, Rachel Pashley, recently pointed out, there are “so few heroic models of women in advertising”.

Cultural stereotypes still persist all over the place that show women exclusively as passive creatures, nurturing, and good at relationships. These stereotypes can lead to big missed opportunities in branding and business.

In the Hofstede model of intercultural communications styles – an otherwise very useful tool for understanding cultural differences – one of the categories is “masculinity”.

This is defined as “cultures where people value achievement and competitiveness, as well as acquisition of money and other material objects”. Which we must take to mean that femininity is not concerned with achievement. Not about winning.

In the boardroom, these stereotypes still sometimes means that the only woman, or the first woman, on the board is the HR director.

Brands which don’t embrace the notion of strong women will find themselves out of sync with millions and adrift from a huge wave of cultural traction.

Recent archeological discoveries can confirm that these notions of what defines masculinity and femininity are not innate.

Early civilisations just didn’t work like that. Thanks to new techniques all the assumptions about how men and women once lived are being re-written.

Ancient burial sites are being redefined by modern forensics. For over a century, from the earliest days of excavation in the name of science, if a grave was found with weapons in it, the skeleton was always assumed to be that of a man.

DNA testing now proves that a significant proportion in some sites actually contain the bones of women fighters. Strong women have been literally fighters since antiquity.

In her book, The Amazons, Lives and Legends of Warrior Women across the Ancient World, author Adrienne Mayor writes that in Scythian graves of dating from the Iron Age nearly a quarter of the women were warriors. The condition of the skeletons shows that these women were fighters not exclusively home makers.

An excavation at Hadrian’s Wall has uncovered two skeletons, they are believed to be cavalry officers because of the artefacts, they are now known to be women.

We can assume that they certainly valued achievement and competitiveness and perhaps the acquisition of material objects.

It is long past time to throw away gender stereotypes. Brands and businesses must understand that we all identify across the whole spectrum of masculinity and femininity as they are currently defined.

Strong women are on the rise. If you’re planning content or communications to target women in 2016, don’t miss out on this trend.

Sue Unerman is the chief strategy officer at MediaCom.

12992: Subway Exclusivity Not Fresh.

Advertising Age spotlighted the new Subway campaign from BBDO, which plays off the sandwich chain’s history. Does anybody really give a shit about Subway’s White-bread founders? Telling this story relegates minorities to bit players (i.e., crew members or customers)—despite Subway’s alleged commitment to diversity. If Subway truly values “the cultural richness and breadth of ideas resulting from the diversity that is fostered in who we are and what we do,” why did it hire an exclusively White advertising agency where diversity is a dream deferred and denied? There’s nothing fresh about the hypocrisy demonstrated here.

Behind Subway’s Post-Jared Strategy: No More Discount Ads, Fewer Celebs

Sandwich Chain Breaks New Campaign Harkening Back to Its 1965 Founding

By E.J. Schultz

As it stakes out a new brand positioning that is less about discounts and more about the food, Subway is looking backwards—all the way to the sandwich chain’s founding in 1965.

A new campaign by new agency BBDO tells the story of how Subway founders Fred DeLuca and Peter Buck started the chain with a simple idea of creating fresh sandwiches at a “time when artificial foods and gimmicks were all the rage.” The campaign—set to debut Dec. 27 during NFL programming—marks the beginning of a significant strategy shift for Subway, which is seeking to recover from sluggish sales trends and PR woes related to the downfall of former pitchman Jared Fogle.

The new approach will include fewer celebrities and less talk about discounts. For instance, the oft-used “Five Dollar Footlong” jingle will be eliminated. Also, the chain’s “Famous Fans” line-up of star endorsers, which in recent years has included celebs like Olympian Michael Phelps, has been retired. And while Subway will keep its “fresh” positioning, the chain will talk about fresh in a new way, emphasizing moves like a planned transition away from using meat sourced from animals treated with antibiotics.

“Fresh as a subject has really changed from when we introduced it 15 years ago when it was about making the sandwiches fresh and having fresh produce,” said Chief Advertising Officer Chris Carroll. Now, he said, fresh is more about what goes into the ingredients, including concerns about antibiotic use. “It’s not just an advertising change to the brand. This is an entire company effort, from products to the way we operate the restaurants.”

As part of that effort, Subway this spring is planning to introduce a rotisserie chicken sandwich that is “completely antibiotic-free,” Mr. Carroll said.

The first round of ads, which use the tagline “Founded on Fresh,” will run for about two months. The chain is still debating the fate of its existing tagline, “Eat Fresh,” Mr. Carroll said. The reason Subway went back to the beginning with the “founders” spot is to show millennials that “there is really substance to this brand—there is a real founder,” he said. With that as background, “as we go forward, we can make some claims with some credibility.”

In the ads, Mr. DeLuca is played by his son, Jonathan. Fred DeLuca—who opened the first Subway in Connecticut with a $1,000 loan from Mr. Buck—died in September after a battle with leukemia. Earlier this year, Mr. DeLuca named his sister, Suzanne Greco, to lead the company.

Mr. Carroll returned to Subway over the summer on a full-time basis after serving in a consulting role. He had previously served as senior VP-global marketing from 1999 to 2005. He reports directly to Ms. Greco and oversees creative development, consumer research, media and merchandising. Joe Tripodi, a former Coca-Cola Co. CMO who was named Subway’s global CMO in early December, oversees research and development, products, packaging and pricing and also reports to Ms. Greco, Mr. Carroll said.

Mr. Carroll said the new ad positioning is rooted in research that occurred before Mr. Fogle’s downfall, which began unfolding over the summer. Mr Fogle in November was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison after he admitted to receiving child pornography and paying for sex with minors. At Subway, he was the longtime face of a weight-loss message.

“We started this work before the whole thing with [Mr. Fogle] went down,” Mr. Carroll said. “We had made the decision [that] what he stood for around losing weight and … no fat, no calories—that was what fresh used to be. If we were going to redefine the brand, we had to redefine it with a new strategy and new tactics.”

On the move away from sports celebrities, he said: “I’m not sure it’s so believable when you put certain sports celebrities on that they really do eat your product every day as part of their training regimen. So we’ve walked away from that.” Subway will still do some targeted sports marketing, such as continuing to reach out to Nascar fans by using Subway endorser Carl Edwards, he said.

As for those “Five Dollar Footlong” ads, Mr. Carroll said the marketing at one time “made that offer so amazingly attractive: I’m getting an $8 sandwich for $5.” But, he added, “after a while you convince consumers that it’s really only a $5 sandwich and so that’s really what it’s worth.”

In the end, franchisees convinced Subway leaders that “we don’t have to discount our products,” he said. “We have a great product. Our consumers love it. Just tell our story.”

12991: Diverted Diversity In 2015.

Diverted Diversity was the theme for 2015. After all, the past year saw the most progress for diversity in decades—albeit exclusively benefitting White women. Yes, the oh-so-awful plight of White women to achieve equality in the advertising industry is finally being addressed. Shattering the glass ceiling has become, well, sexy. You go, girl! Go ahead and create diversions to take the ever-dimming spotlight off racial and ethnic discrimination in our field.

AMV BBDO Group Chairman-CEO Cilla Snowball diverted diversity by stressing the imperative to fight sexism and ageism—completely ignoring racism.

CES 2015 digitally diverted diversity by showing “the smartest people in the room” are predominately White women.

Y&R combined Diverted&Diversity with its White woman appointment.

Deutsch diverted diversity with its White women succession success.

Thinkbox CEO and Wacl VP Lindsey Clay diverted diversity like a damned dumb dame, prompting a request that she stifle herself. BTW, Wacl is wack and wildly exclusive.

M&C Saatchi diverted diversity by replacing one White woman with four men. Plus, the place hired a White woman to serve in the new role of head of talent.

Kat Gordon diverted diversity with a fumble for the Super Bowl. The woman is fast becoming the Queen of Diversity Diversion, with certifiably nutty ideas. Honestly, how many women of color have advanced through 3% Conference efforts? Probably less than three.

Ogilvy New York diverted diversity by finding a qualified White woman in their own hallways.

Japanese-owned Dentsu diverted diversity, bypassing Asian for Caucasian.

Why, diverting diversity is getting redundant at times.

Wieden + Kennedy diverted diversity by hiring a White woman as an Executive Creative Director—Now that’s fucked up!

Leo Burnett diverted diversity by not making White women wait 66 years for fair representation.

Diversity is diverted when you embrace failure and hold bitch sessions and whine events.

OgilvyOne diverted diversity with one round of promotions.

Omnicom diverted diversity with an exclusive training day—and the holding company will divert accountability by steadfastly refusing to reveal EEO-1 data.

PHD Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer Frances Ralston-Good diverted diversity via some not-so-good advice to White women.

Business Insider diverted diversity by saluting White women in creative departments.

Cannes diverted diversity with a new award, new juries, new jurors and old smokescreens. The festival displayed its true colors too.

Is anything more annoying than a White woman diverting diversity by complaining about the gender pay gap while openly acknowledging minorities are even worse off than White women? How about a White woman diverting diversity by griping about the insulting ways White women are depicted in advertising, seemingly oblivious to the fact that minorities are stereotyped in worse ways—in the few instances when they’re depicted at all? Or another White woman diverting diversity by imploring White women to band together for greater White dominance?

Adweek diverted diversity and celebrated the rash of White women hired as Chief Creative Officers, including a laughable quote from Y&R NYC CCO Leslie Sims: “Diversity of any kind on an agency leadership team is a real advantage. And given that there’s such a wide array of clients and even a broader diversity of consumers, making sure you have a mixture of perspective is really important.” A peek at the People page of Y&R’s website clearly shows the “real advantage” is essentially White privilege.

White men diverted diversity by jumping on the White women bandwagon, inspired by daughters, Glass Lions, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman and Caitlyn Jenner. Plus, the ever-culturally-clueless Sir John Hegarty chimed in to declare, “There is no glass ceiling in our industry.” The old man also presented a semi-polite version of the Neil French perspective.

As the year progressed, White women continued to divert diversity through their words and actions. Susan Credle moved from diversity-averting Leo Burnett to diversity-delinquent FCB. JWT Creative Kat Thomas claimed she’s thrived in the advertising industry as a White woman because she sorta acts like a White man. Saatchi & Saatchi London CCO Kate Stanners wrote, “How to be a chief creative officer,” ultimately demonstrating how to be a CCO—a culturally clueless oaf. Newly appointed Wunderman CMO Jamie Gutfreund proved White women are just as capable of spewing mindless gobbledygook as White men. FCB Global Chief Talent Officer Cynthia Augustine ripped Raven-Symoné while exhibiting extraordinary ignorance.

Havas Chicago diverted diversity by bragging over its White gender equality. SapientNitro diverted diversity by bragging over its program to help White women return from extended time away—yet offered no schemes to recruit and retain minorities. Digiday diverted diversity by predicting holding companies will make diversity a priority in 2016. Hate to keep hammering the same point, but the holding companies aren’t even publicizing EEO-1 data.

PepsiCo Global Beverage Group President Brad Jakeman diverted diversity when ripping advertising agencies for being too White and male—despite the fact that Jakeman still conspires with White shops. Jakeman later jumped on the White women bandwagon.

DDB prefers Coke versus Pepsi, diverting diversity by poaching Wendy Clark from The Coca-Cola Company.

The Women of Tomorrow awards diverted diversity yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Finally, BBDO New York President and CEO John Osborn wished he will divert diversity in 2016. And he’ll probably do it—along with the rest of the advertising industry.

12990: Natalie Cole (1950-2015).

The Los Angeles Times published a photo tribute for the late Natalie Cole.

12989: Love Has A Label: Bullshit.

This campaign sponsored by the Ad Council is not new, but the banner’s appearance today inspired a MultiCultClassics response. After all, it’s wildly hypocritical for the Ad Council to advocate rethinking our biases with copy that includes, “Before anything else, we are all human. It’s time to embrace diversity. Let’s put aside labels in the name of love.” The facts and figures continue to show the advertising industry is doing anything but embracing diversity.

12988: Giving The Finger To Droga5.

AdFreak spotlighted the Android “Fingerprints” commercial created by Droga5, including a supplemental tweet featuring the cast members. AdFreak pointed out the Black fingers among the cast. When MultiCultClassics first saw the spot on TV, the question of diversity came up, as it’s difficult to distinguish race and ethnicity via fingers. Not sure why Android and Droga5 felt compelled to present the commercial’s inclusiveness. It would be interesting to reveal the racial and ethnic makeup of the Droga5 team behind the campaign. Based on the agency’s historical exclusivity, the revelation would likely inspire giving the finger to Droga5.

Everyone Is a Finger in Droga5’s Zany New Ad for Android

Diversity, sort of

By Gabriel Beltrone

Visual synecdoche rules in Droga5’s new Android spot, in which fingers dressed up as caricatures stand in for consumers.

There’s a hitchhiker finger in a Hawaiian shirt, and a subway commuter with a bright red afro, and a masked Mexican wrestling finger—but they all fit right in using Google’s mobile operating system, says the ad.

Titled “Fingerprints”—presumably because everyone has a unique digit—the spot the latest under the brand’s “Be together. Not the same” tagline. That’s a good thing, or at least, has a better ring to it than “Android. The smartphone platform for people who have fingers.”

Overall, the concept is inevitably not as charming as Android’s supercut of different animal species playing together to the sounds of Roger Miller’s 1973 tune “Oo-De-Lally”—among Adweek’s 10 best ads of 2015. It also can’t but evoke Steve Oedekerk’s absurd Thumbs! series, despite the perhaps more obvious association with generic finger puppets.

Regardless, the cute concept survives on neat little twists like the introduction of an extraterrestrial finger, and a werewolf finger, and a finger with a Carmen Miranda fruit hat.

Those visual gimmicks, strung together this time by a version of Barry Louis Polisar’s 1993 children’s song “I Need You Like a Donut Needs a Hole,” are nice enough. Some YouTube commenters are wondering where the black fingers are—a reasonable question, especially given the ad’s emphasis on diversity.

But, perhaps on the bright side, Google clearly didn’t mean anything by what looked to some like an omission. (The marketer has, for its part, tweeted a series of photos of the cast, which includes black finger actors—see below.) Regardless, whether you’re a French painter finger or a finger with all gold everything, the marketer only really cares that you’re not an Apple finger.