10806: Hiring The Wrong White People.

At Campaign, Dave Trott acknowledged, “We’re Hiring The Wrong People.” While considering his agency’s studio head Barry White—a veritable anti-adman—Trott wrote:

I don’t think there’s enough people like Barry in advertising agencies.

Normal people.

People like the people we’re supposed to be talking to.

People who’ve got lives outside of advertising.

See we’ve got it wrong.

Agencies are staffed with people who seek out advertising.

Where actually it should be the other way round.

Actually it’s advertising’s job to seek out people.

Trott unintentionally underscored exactly why the industry continues to be plagued by a dearth of diversity. Agencies are quick to make job offers to familiar characters—folks who look, sound and think alike. And while “actually it’s advertising’s job to seek out people,” executives with hiring authority rarely cast for candidates outside of a limited, exclusive pool. It’s not just a matter of hiring the wrong people. It’s also about letting the wrong people do the hiring.

10805: Stuck On Band-Aid Badness.

Not sure Harry Webber would be flattered by this Band-Aid commercial.

10804: Digiday Doofus Drivel.

At Digiday, Deep Focus CEO Ian Schafer offered a counter-counterpoint to High Wide & Handsome Co-founder and CCO Mike Wolfsohn’s counterpoint to Digidolt Brian Morrissey’s cluelessness about advertising agencies. Schafer did a stellar job of representing the fringe digerati. That is, he managed to string together 700+ words without saying anything of value or originality. It’s a common trait of Schafer’s kind—of which Morrissey is a definite wannabe—to use social media as a soapbox for establishing pseudo thought leadership. On the World Wide Web, no one can hear you scream, “Poseur!” Instead, there’s always an audience of glorified IT hacks spellbound by anybody possessing the ability to compose on a keyboard with minimal typos.

10803: Diversity Or Diversionary?

From Adweek…

FCC Takes Up Low-Power Radio to Add Diversity to Airwaves

But could it just be a diversionary tactic?

By Katy Bachman

Coincidences in Washington? Try this. Just when the Federal Communications Commission is circulating a draft order to loosen media ownership rules, it voted today to take final steps to create lower-power FM radio, a new class of noncommercial radio stations aimed at increasing diversity on the radio airwaves.

While the two FCC actions may seem unrelated, they are connected by a long-standing debate in Washington about whether there is adequate ownership diversity among the nation’s airwaves. Recent data from the FCC shows it is lacking, with people of color owning just 3.6 percent of full-power TV stations and 8 percent of radio stations.

On the one hand, lower-power radio promises to increase diversity on the airwaves by allowing communities and organizations to operate hundreds of low-power, noncommercial radio stations. But the media ownership order being circulated, critics argue, would have the opposite effect by lifting the cross-ownership ban on owning radio and newspapers in all markets and TV and newspaper in the top 20 markets.

The connection was not lost on the FCC, which scheduled the low-power radio item today as a counterpoint to mounting criticism from public interest groups, unions and civil rights organizations ratcheting up their objections to the draft media ownership order.

To kick off the meeting, FCC chairman Julius Genachowski departed from commission procedure and brought in a little political muscle, handing off the podium to two lawmakers, one from each side of the aisle, who worked on the 2010 law clearing the way for the creation of community radio.

“We are going to start this meeting in a most unusual way,” Genachowski said, introducing Reps. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) and Lee Terry (R-Neb.). “[It’s] a big step to empower community voices, promote media diversity and enhance local programming.”

Even though the procedures voted on by the FCC would pave the way to process more than 6,000 applications from communities and minority groups sitting at the agency, it will not divert criticism of the draft media ownership order that blasts the agency for offering what’s basically a giveaway to big media owners.

“[The FCC’s action] doesn’t answer our critique,” said Matt Wood, policy director for Free Press, which earlier this week held a press conference with several unions and civil rights groups to protest the FCC’s draft order. “It’s hard to attack [lower-power FM radio], but it doesn’t address the harmful impact of the rule changes. The FCC is saying ‘look over here’ while ignoring the powerful impact the media ownership rules have on diversity.”

10802: Multiculutual Intelligence.

A higher level of intelligence in a field should start with the ability to correctly spell the field.

10801: White Pencil, White Lie.

Advertising Age reported Leo Burnett won the first D&AD White Pencil for its “Recipeace” concept. While it’s fitting for the White Pencil to go to an extraordinarily White agency, the winning peace idea is, well, a piece of shit. After all, it’s ridiculous for Leo Burnett to tout itself as a change agent. The dinosaur-like place demonstrates the very worst characteristics of a typical BDA. Hell, Leo Burnett cannot establish peace in its own offices. Need proof in two words? Team Sprint. The Kellogg’s debacle is another example of Leo Burnett’s inability to create harmony. And let’s not even start discussing the shop’s total failure to bring together a diverse staff. Leo Burnett nabbing a White Pencil presents a whole new meaning to the term “white lie.”

D&AD Awards Burnett’s ‘Recipeace’ New Social Impact Prize

Effort Brought Muslims and Jews Together Over Lunch in Chicago

By Emma Hall

Leo Burnett Chicago won D&AD’s inaugural White Pencil, a new prize that recognizes social impact in marketing from the prestigious U.K. award show.

The winning campaign was “Recipeace,” a movement designed to unite people over a shared meal. Leo Burnett brought together Muslim and Jewish organizations over lunch in Chicago to discuss conflict in the Middle East, creating an event where connections were made and minds changed. The concept was extended to restaurants around Chicago, which joined in by creating special menu items, using “Recipeace” flags as dinner napkins, and serving “Recipeace” olive oil, an alternative version of the traditional olive branch of peace.

Judges for the award, sponsored by Unilever, included David Droga, creative chairman of Droga 5; David Jones, CEO of Havas; and Marc Mathieu, SVP marketing at Unilever. The group of ten judges met to decide the winner from 19 short-listed campaigns. Three were nominated for the top honor: “Recipeace,” “Blood Relations” from Baumann Ber Rivnay Saatchi & Saatchi Israel, and “The Peace Flag,” a collaborative effort by a group of creatives.

The first White Pencil was awarded last night during a special event at the Royal Institution, an organization devoted to scientific endeavor that has been on the same site in London since 1799. There were cocktails, brief speeches and then the presentation, followed by a VIP reception.

Tim Lindsay, CEO of D&AD, said, “This was a step in the dark. It’s important that D&AD is seen to champion this kind of work, and we’ve had really good feedback about the event. We had the idea too late to fold it into our 50th birthday celebrations, but in future it will be tied into the main awards in June.”

Unilever SVP marketing Marc Mathieu said in a statement, “Brands and marketing have a responsibility to inspire positive change in people’s lives. We believe in the power of creativity to make that happen. That’s why our long-term partnership with D&AD and the White Pencil is so exciting.”

Jeremy Gilley, founder of Peace One Day, helped to create the White Pencil award, and this year, all the entries were connected with the annual Peace One Day event in September. In future, however, any work with a positive social or environmental outcome will be eligible to enter. The winner and two nominations can be viewed here.

10800: President Obama’s House Guest.

Top Ten Things Obama Told Romney At The White House

How’s that “I’ll Create Jobs” stuff working out for you?

Most people go to Disneyland after they’ve won something.

You spent nearly $780 million to get beat by a Black guy being blamed for the worst economic crisis in modern history—and you thought you could bring fiscal responsibility to the country?

No, you may not stand on the presidential seal.

The 47% have spoken.

Want a Cabinet position? How about Secretary of Ass-Whupped?

You’ll be the second biggest thing to vanish in 2012—right after Twinkies.

I took you out like I took out Bin Laden.

Now Clint Eastwood will act like you’re invisible.

Somebody cue up “Home” already.

10799: Draftfcb Tossing Its Cookies.

Advertising Age reported Draftfcb lost even more Oreo business, as U.S. creative duties shifted to The Martin Agency. The move is actually an example of Cookie Corporate Cultural Collusion, as the new agency and Draftfcb are IPG sisters. According to Ad Age, Draftfcb will deal with the brand globally—which means the shop can put its cross-cultural expertise to work. Can’t wait to see what the joint does in China and Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Wieden + Kennedy and The Martin Agency will handle the plum assignments. Hey, if the client now hires a fresh Black agency, they can form a reverse Oreo.

Martin Agency Tasked to Handle New U.S. Creative Ideas for Oreo

Move Follows Wieden & Kennedy Getting Super Bowl Work

By E.J. Schultz

Oreo has picked The Martin Agency to work on U.S. creative duties, Ad Age has learned. The move comes as part of the cookie brand’s new multi-agency model within Interpublic Group.

As Ad Age reported on Tuesday, parent company Mondelez International has decided to tap a range of agencies within IPG, rather than rely solely on incumbent shop DraftFCB, while handing a coveted Super Bowl ad assignment to independent shop Wieden & Kennedy.

Mondelez spokeswoman Laurie Guzzinati on Wednesday said The Martin Agency being chosen to work on Oreo advertising means the shop is part of a “broader range of IPG resources as we look to source new and exciting creative direction and ideas for the brand.” She declined to elaborate, and Martin declined to comment on the matter. But other industry executives said the move meant that going forward, Martin will be tasked to come up with creative ideas for the cookie’s marketing in the U.S. while DraftFCB will be responsible for the brand globally.

John Campbell, DraftFCB’s global account director for Oreo, will be leading the overall effort.

Oreo spent $40.5 million on measured media in the U.S. in 2011, according to Kantar Media. The cookie is a star in the portfolio of Mondelez, which houses cookie, candy and snack brands formerly owned by Kraft Foods Inc., which split in two earlier this year. The cookie brand is now a $2 billion franchise globally, which is double the size it was five years ago, Mondelez recently told analysts.

A longtime U.S. cookie powerhouse, Mondelez is putting major resources behind the brand internationally, including launching it in India last year. The company has also introduced Oreo in several European countries including Germany, France and the U.K.

In China, Oreo is the largest cookie brand, with average annual growth of 68% over the past couple years, the company has told analysts. All told, Oreo is No. 1 in the global “sweet biscuit” category, with 4.3% share, followed by an Indian brand named Parle, which has 1.6%, according to Euromonitor International.

10798: Can’t Beat The Really Big Logo.

Gotta believe Coca-Cola instantly bought this German campaign, as the client has always been narcissistic about its trademarked font and Dynamic Ribbon device. But does the silhouette design make all the athletes look Black?

From Ads of the World.

10797: Adman Versus Geek Is Tired.

High Wide & Handsome Co-founder and CCO Mike Wolfsohn provided a general counterpoint to the advertising agency cluelessness routinely displayed by Brian Morrissey at Digiday. The piece is actually much longer than it needed to be. “Morrissey is an ignorant douche bag” would have sufficed. To be clear, most advertising agencies—especially BDAs—could definitely benefit from renovations. On the flip side, the average digital shop is no less in need of overhauling. Of course, Digiday’s core audience probably did not agree with and/or even comprehend Wolfsohn’s perspective. It was like a Tea Party zealot making the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention or President Barack Obama appearing before a Tea Party rally. The first comment—as overwritten as Wolfsohn’s editorial—featured the standard “fundamental-shift-in-consumer-behaviors” angle. Each side of the traditional advertising versus digital conflict insists on hammering the other guy’s wrongness while promoting its own rightness. Is it impossible to show mutual appreciation for the basic beauties of both art forms? Instead, like the political battles between conservatives and liberals that have led to unyielding and non-collaborative partisanship, the spectacle continues in increasingly annoying fashion. And Brian Morrissey is starting to bear an uncanny resemblance to Clint Eastwood.

10796: Cuckoo For CocoaFab.

From Adweek…

Former Essence Editor Launches Entertainment Site

CocoaFab.com to create content for young women of color

By Emma Bazilian

Following her (very) brief stint at the Huffington Post, former Essence editor in chief Angela Burt-Murray is launching a celebrity news and style website aimed at young women of color. The site, called CocoaFab.com, is part of Cocoa Media Group, which Burt-Murray co-founded with former Essence Communications executive producer Shelly Jones Jennings.

CocoaFab will produce six original Web series per week (like the shopping-focused Fab Five and news round-up Mouthing Off) as well as original and aggregated content, including street style look books, live-streamed “viewing parties,” and photo galleries.

Burt-Murray, who edited Essence from 2005 until 2010, sparked controversy when she hired a white fashion director, Ellianna Placas. In January 2011, she was hired by HuffPo to assist in the launch of its GlobalBlack vertical, but left the following month. Burt-Murray also was executive editor of Teen Vogue from 2003 to 2005.

10795: Oreo Agencies Dunk Contest.

Advertising Age reported Wieden + Kennedy bested Draftfcb for the chance to create a Super Bowl commercial for Oreo. However, Draftfcb retains its AOR status on the brand, as the client insisted W+K is “not an Oreo agency.” Of course it’s not an Oreo agency—in fact, both firms are White agencies.

Wieden & Kennedy Wins Oreo Super Bowl Spot

But IPG’s DraftFCB Remains Brand’s AOR In New Agency Model

By E.J. Schultz, Maureen Morrison

Wieden & Kennedy beat out Interpublic Group’s DraftFCB for Oreo’s Super Bowl ad, but the cookie brand will stick with IPG long-term in a new agency model that will use multiple shops within the holding company.

The move effectively means that DraftFCB will no longer have the brand to itself. But the shop will be part of the new multi-agency structure, which will be led by John Campbell, the current Oreo global account director at DraftFCB Worldwide, said Laurie Guzzinati, a spokeswoman for Mondelez, which owns the Oreo brand.

DraftFCB “is and will continue to be a key agency partner for our company, partnering with us both on Oreo and several other global brands,” including Chips Ahoy, Ms. Guzzinati told Ad Age. But in the future, Oreo will be “supported by an even broader range of IPG resources.” She declined to name the other IPG shops Oreo would call on (beyond Weber Shandwick for PR), calling it an “evolving process.”

The change comes as DraftFCB seeks to recover from significant account losses, including MillerCoors and SC Johnson, which were handled out of its Chicago office. (Oreo is run out of New York.) DraftFCB has also lost several Kraft Foods brands in recent years. Oreo is a former Kraft Foods brand that became part of Mondelez when Kraft split into two companies earlier this year.

The new IPG arrangement will include creative advertising and PR. Dentsu-owned 360i will continue to handle digital. DraftFCB did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Oreo, which will run a 30-second spot during the Super Bowl’s first half, sought ideas from DraftFCB and Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, in a jump-ball pitch. The brand went with Wieden for the big game because the shop is “the right partner for us with their history of understanding [Super Bowl advertising] in a very meaningful way and getting to creative breakthrough advertising,” Ms. Guzzinati said. Still, she stressed that Wieden & Kennedy’s assignment is “specific to the Super Bowl” and going forward the shop is “not an Oreo agency.”

Oreo’s Super Bowl ad, which was first reported by Ad Age in October, caps a year in which the iconic cookie brand has put major marketing resources behind celebrating its 100th birthday.

10794: Jesus Christ, Obama Artist!

Here’s yet another creative type going straight to hell—and that’s the truth.

10793: Free Advice From MultiCultClassics.

Wanted to elaborate on the previous post regarding a botched press release for Allison Pescosolido that led to a botched publicist response. Laura Martinez had received a communication featuring terrible Spanish translation and wound up posting it on her blog. A publicist for Pescosolido sought to explain the mishap and ask Martinez to take down the post. For starters, the publicist should have let the responsible PR firm handle the affair versus clumsily compounding the mess. Regardless, MultiCultClassics is publishing the publicist’s email to Martinez and offering a better response—free of charge.

Here’s the publicist’s original email:

Hi Laura:

My name is Nicole Wool. I am the publicist for Allison Pescosolido. I saw the release that you posted from Pivotal PR regarding Allison. I am so very sorry. Pivotal was handling elements of Allison’s campaign, and a publicist in that office who is Latin, translated this pitch on the publicist’s (John’s) behalf. Unbeknownst to John and contrary to what John’s colleague represented, her Spanish is clearly not strong.

Is there any way you might please consider taking down your post? I realize it must have come off as insulting and inexperienced. However, it is terribly embarrassing to Allison. She did not approve this pitch, nor did she have any awareness that the PR firm sent it out on her behalf. She is a great expert and doesn’t deserve to be collateral damage in what was clearly a major mistake. She has worked very hard to build an excellent reputation and helped many people.

Might you please consider taking it down? I am happy to discuss this with you and to do whatever it takes to make this right.

Nicole Wool | CEO

Here’s MultiCultClassics’ suggested response:

Dear Laura Martinez,

My name is Nicole Wool. I am the publicist for Allison Pescosolido and I am reaching out to you about the release that you posted from Pivotal PR.

First, I am sorry you received the release and hope you were not offended in any way. Pivotal PR was handling elements of Allison’s campaign and clearly utilized an individual whose Spanish translation capabilities are limited.

Needless to say, Allison is terribly embarrassed over the incident. She did not approve the pitch and was not apprised that the PR firm sent it out on her behalf.

Allison is a great expert—she has strived to build an excellent reputation and has helped many people. The release you received does not represent Allison at all.

On behalf of Allison, I apologize for the mistake. Rest assured, we will work to ensure things are properly handled in the future. Please let me know if you have any questions or wish to discuss the matter further. Thank you very much.

Nicole Wool | CEO

10792: PR Means Public Ridicule.

At Mi blog es tu blog, Laura Martinez spotlighted a press release from a “Latin” publicist who needs help with her Spanish, prompting a plea to take down the embarrassing post. As if removing the entry will make the cultural cluelessness disappear. ¡Ay, Caramba!

10791: Chrysler Cultural Crapola.

Chrysler boasts about being as diverse as America. When Advertising Age named Chrysler Group Marketer of the Year, the team photo displayed a degree of diversity, at least in terms of gender. Yet the automaker drives with advertising agencies that cannot begin to match such progressiveness. Which makes Chrysler’s cultural competence claims a carload of crapola.

10790: MGP Movie Reminder.

In case you missed it over the holiday break, check out the CNN video spotlighting Lincoln Stephens and The Marcus Graham Project. Plus, get involved with the Thunder Clap initiative.

10789: Playing Games With Death.

This International Society for Human Rights campaign from Germany is reminiscent of the classic National Lampoon cover below. Except National Lampoon was making a freaking joke.

From Ads of the World.

10788: Overreaction Of The Week.

Why were all the Black Friday promotions handled by White advertising agencies?

10787: Kraft Cooks Up Cluelessness.

Kraft shows its commitment to diversity by proclaiming, “Everyone’s invited.” Yet the food company continues to dine with White advertising agencies where exclusivity is the main course. Does Kraft invite its minority shops to the table when major marketing decisions are served up—or do the minorities receive leftover crumbs on an empty plate?

10786: Walmmart Is Commmitted.

Walmart literally and graphically highlights helping Hispanics—which kinda looks discriminatory. Plus, the retailer’s “commmitment” doesn’t include hiring a proofreader.

10785: Being Polish Is No Joke.

From The Chicago Sun-Times…

No joke: Media consultant champions Polish heritage, challenges ridicule

By Becky Schlikerman, Staff Reporter

Did ya hear the one about the Polish guy walking into the bar?

Well forget it.

Barry ZeVan, of Minnesota, wants to put a lid on Polish jokes and hopes to accomplish his mission one T-shirt (or mouse pad) at a time.

“I began thinking about how Poland has been the doormat so many times in its history,” said ZeVan, who is one-eighth Polish. “I began thinking of all these giants in the world — Copernicus, Chopin, Pope John Paul II — who have contributed so much to society. … For all the people who have contributed so much to this world who are from Poland, the Polish jokes aren’t valid. The world needs to be told Poland is not a joke and never was.”

And that’s how he came up with the two slogans: “Being Polish: It’s not a joke. (Never was!)” and “Poland: It’s not a joke. Never was.”

The two trademarked phrases are emblazoned on mugs, sweat shirts and even iPad sleeves for sale on the website beingpolish.com.

ZeVan hopes the large Polish population in the Chicago area will take notice. In Cook County alone there are nearly half a million people of Polish ancestry, according to U.S. Census data.

ZeVan, a former Twin Cities weatherman who has extensive broadcast experience, also plans to donate a percentage of the funds collected through the sale of the merchandise to Polish orphanages. ZeVan and two Polish pals created the Optivus Foundation, which is officially recognized by the Polish government, to handle the donations, ZeVan said.

“When I created this, I said ‘Wait a minute, if we have merchandise with the slogan on it … we give a minimum of five percent to start,” ZeVan, 75, said. He hopes to one day donate at least half of the funds.

“We’re not going to be rich on this, we’re not going to be millionaires and we don’t want to be. We want to make sure this is distributed well,” he said, adding that the dispersion of the funds are monitored by accountants. “There won’t be funny little parties. It will be very, very closely watched.”

ZeVan, now a media and public relations consultant who has worked with Polish companies, got the idea for the slogans while working with a Polish green energy consortium.

He hopes his campaign rebrands the perception people have of Poland.

“This really punches somebody in the face and says ’Guess what? We’re not a joke,’” he said.

10784: A Bouquet Of Rose Cordero.