9417: Old Bullshit From Old Navy.

Advertising Age reported on a new effort to target Latinos from Old Navy—featuring lots of old bullshit from the advertising industry.

The campaign is an online mini-novela with a fashion focus. Old Navy’s digital agency, AKQA, takes credit for creating the concept and developing the technology, while Telemundo produced the series and will promote it. Okey-doke, where to begin? Sorry, but recognizing yourself for hatching the “concept” of a mini-novela aimed at Latinos is estúpido. Did the back-up—or likely recommended—ideas include a soccer tie-in or Pitbull music video? Yes, AKQA really pushed the conceptual envelope here, while inadvertently admitting their ignorance by needing Telemundo to execute the program.

The Ad Age story also revealed Old Navy does not have a Latino agency on its roster, and its White agency, CP+B, typically handles Spanish-language work. It’s bad enough that CP+B consistently covers assignments usually slated for minority agencies. But it becomes even more outrageous given that the Old Navy VP of Marketing admitted, “Hispanic shoppers account for about 12% of apparel sales, and Old Navy’s share is north of that.” Add another advertiser to the “Denial” section of the recent AHAA study.