Numerous media sources have reported on the launch of Joan, a new White-female-owned advertising agency founded by Lisa Clunie and Jaime Robinson. The hype includes promoting “The Joan Foundation for Diversity in Advertising” with website copy that reads:
The world needs more irregular thinkers, and those are likely to come from more surprising places. See, as creative people, our unique life experiences are the building blocks for our best ideas. So, we’re establishing a foundation where a percentage of our time and profits will be spent seeking and inspiring brilliant people from all walks of life to join our field.Watch this space as the Foundation announces its board, goals and plan.
Oh boy, MultiCultClassics will be visiting often to learn the exciting details.
Additionally, Robinson declared, “You don’t need to be a woman to work at Joan. Our philosophy is that a diversity of talent is what brings unique, interesting ideas. If you have the same, you’ll get the same.”
Okay, but right now, the diversity appears to be diverted—that is, it looks like the inclusiveness is exclusive to White women. Will the “percentage of our time and profits” dedicated to battling sameness exceed 3%? Or is this just the same old, same old smokescreen?
2016 Diversity Dictionary
ReplyDelete"Diversity of Thought"
This is when an ad agency hires a bunch of white people from all walks of life, no minorities, and hides their blinding whiteness in the press by claiming they all think different ways, so that's "Diversity of Thought".
"Diversity of Talent"
This is when an ad agency hires old white people, young white people, handicapped white people, white women and/or LGBT white people instead of any minorities.
"Diversity Outreach"
This is when an ad agency goes to the bare minimum to CONSIDER hiring minorities (like sending interns of color to job fairs to collect resumes, or employing a part time diversity consultant to speak at diversity events on the agency's behalf), but doesn't actually HIRE any minorities.
"Diversity Initiatives"
This is when an ad agency sends white staff and interns of color into local high schools to talk about advertising as a career.
"Diversity Edition" of (pick whatever) Trade Magazine
ReplyDeleteA cover with 5 white women and 1 Asian woman from overseas.
An interview inside the pages talking about every aspect of gender diversity, gender diversity, gender diversity and the diversity of "thinking differently."
1 interview with a Black Chief Diversity Executive at some holding company or agency who has never had permission to hire a single staff member, and who spends the entire interview talking about what the agency has done in mentoring inner city adolescents.
No real discussion of ethnic diversity, and the word "Manbassador" is used more than "Black".