Adweek reported ADCOLOR is celebrating its 20th anniversary
while Adland is celebrating its never-ending commitment—and renewed
dedication—to systemic racism.
Adding
indifference to insult, Adweek couldn’t even bother to spell the organization’s
name right—according to the website, ADCOLOR is all caps.
This year, ADCOLOR
is revamping its program and pushing its annual awards soiree to 2027. Hard to
guess if the changes are intentional or resulting from reduced White
advertising agencies’ sponsorship. After all, the anti-DEIBA+ vibe impacting
Adland—and corporations in general—diminishes any sense of obligation to
support heat shields.
Additionally,
the ADCOLOR
website
currently lists IPG/FCB as Community Group Partner. Did the Omnicom acquisition of IPG create redundancies affecting
partnerships on a financial level?
ADCOLOR
Founder Tiffany R. Warren’s mood has shifted from Pollyannaish to hopeful melancholy. Although Warren insists
her dream of a more diverse creative field—especially at senior levels—has
surpassed her original expectations, which indicates delusional thinking or low
expectations. Probably a combination of both.
Regarding
ADCOLOR Nation, the organization’s Vice President of Partnerships gushed, “This
is a true community of people who believe in the mission in a way that they’re
not just talking about it, they are acting on it.”
Okay, except
Adland is acting too—that is, the few remaining DEIBA+ initiatives continue to
be performative stunts.
Adcolor
Marks 20 Years With a New Program for a Changed DEI Landscape
Year-round
events, a new awards approach, and a 2027 conference are among the evolutions
to this year’s program
By Hannah
Bowler
As Adcolor
celebrates its 20th anniversary, founder Tiffany R. Warren acknowledges there
have been “setbacks” in the fight for representation across the industry.
That’s why reaching its two-decade milestone is a moment worth celebrating.
The
organization focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in advertising
has unveiled an expanded slate of programming for 2026 that addresses the
shifting landscape and evolving needs of its community.
Since its
launch two decades ago, Adcolor has built its community around an annual
flagship conference and awards hosted in LA. Now, the organization is shifting
to year-long event programming and making changes to its awards and mentorship
initiatives.
“It can’t just
be another year that we celebrate, particularly during these times when we have
to remind not only our community, but the world how important and how beautiful
it is to build and support a diverse community,” Warren said.
The activities
will kick off at Adcolor’s annual networking event at Cannes Lions in June,
followed by gatherings in New York in August and LA in October. The program
will culminate with the Adcolor Awards and conference in LA in early 2027,
pushed out from its usual early November date.
The format of
the annual Adcolor Awards has also been updated. Instead of a traditional
nomination process, winners will be selected by a jury of alumni. Warren
positioned the shift as both a way to thank the community that has supported it
over the past 20 years and to spotlight its own alumni.
The nomination
process will return in 2027.
“We’re turning
20, and for a good 19 of the 20 years we have been going, going, going, and
I’ve not realized how much of a milestone 20 years is,” Warren said. “We needed
to take a step back and look at what we created and celebrate that in the way
that it deserves.”
There will also
be changes to the Adcolor Futures (early career) and Leaders (mid to
senior-level career) programs. Instead of running within the main conference,
both will have dedicated, immersive programming in LA in 2026. Applications for
both are already open.
The goal is to
create a more focused environment for mentorship, professional development, and
community-building among the industry’s next generation of diverse leaders,
Warren said.
Changing
winds
When ADCOLOR
was established in 2006, DEI conversations were “nascent,” Warren told ADWEEK.
“Multiculturalism was growing, but it was still very unique, and you didn’t see
it in various places within the industry. It was very much marginalized and
siloed,” she said.
Reflecting on
the current pull back on corporate DEI initiatives, Warren said the past two
years have been “tough” but that her “dream” back in 2006 of a more diverse
creative industry, particularly at senior level, has surpassed her
expectations.
She said the
current moment makes her “a little sad” because of the “swiftness of the change
in temperature” of how people feel about “providing opportunities for
underrepresented communities.” While she described her outlook as “melancholy,”
she added that she has hope this moment is temporary.
“I hope to look
back and say that that was a moment in time and that joy returns again and
support returns again,” she said.
For Adcolor’s
part, Ana Leen, vice president of partnerships, said the community is only
growing stronger.
“What we’re
seeing with these community groups is there is such a hunger to connect to
learn from each other to support each other. The networks that the Adcolor
community builds are really strong and supportive,” she said.
People are also
becoming more vulnerable, Leen added, pointing to individuals asking for help
on LinkedIn amid layoffs and job uncertainty. “We are seeing people very
willingly help out a stranger just because they’re part of this community,” she
said.
This sense of
mutual support will sustain Adcolor through challenging periods, she
said.
“This is a true community of people who believe
in the mission in a way that they’re not just talking about it, they are acting
on it,” Leen added.
