Essay Fifteen got me thinking about a question that’s bound to upset some folks. But here it is:
Who is producing the best Black advertising in the industry — Black advertising agencies or Mass Market advertising agencies?
Advertisers like Nike, adidas and Reebok consistently showcase outstanding campaigns that appeal to Black consumers. Not much of the work is coming from Black advertising agencies.
Citi presents breakthrough spots depicting Blacks in fresh and non-stereotypical ways — via Fallon in Minneapolis (hardly the Multicultural Mecca of the Midwest).
McDonald’s lame campaign allegedly speaks to a young, urban audience. Yet it might be surprising to discover which ads are generated by Leo Burnett and DDB (versus Burrell).
The growing list of advertisers whose Mass Market agencies produce messages with Black appeal includes Toyota, Mitsubishi, Bacardi, Budweiser, Miller Brewing Company, Coca-Cola, 7-Up, Sierra Mist, Sprite, Gatorade, Hallmark, ESPN, CoverGirl, U.S. Army, Sony, Motorola, Nokia, Cingular, Apple, IBM, JCPenny, Target, Gap, Banana Republic, Right Guard, FedEx, Walt Disney, HBO and many, many more.
America appears to be making progress (albeit minimal) with Black advertising imagery. But it’s a whole other story with Black advertising agencies.
x-man:
ReplyDeletethe pov was written a while ago, but we’re not convinced the logic is flawed.
if you read further essays, you’ll see we recognize the hurdles minority agencies face. at the same time, to hold a contest of the work that wasn’t sold is pointless. minority agencies need to work harder to find new ways to sell the work versus too quickly caving in and ultimately producing another barbecue/double-dutch/reunion spot. we’ve spent extended tours at minority shops, so we know the drill. at some point, the minority shops have to flip the script. certain hispanic shops are making progress. time for the black shops to step up.