MultiCultClassics is often occupied with real work. As a result, a handful of events occur without the expected blog commentary. This limited series—Delayed WTF—seeks to make belated amends for the absence of malice.
Adweek published “sponsored content” highlighting the 15th Annual ADCOLOR Awards, penned by none other than Tiffany R. Warren. Why is this pseudo-philanthropic fuck fest still associated with the advertising industry? After all, its top trophy recipients are Hollywood celebrities. Even Warren bailed out of the ad game. Granted, the inaugural ADCOLOR soiree showed its true colors by praising Magic Johnson—and the key winners since then have been more likely to serve as paid ad spokespersons versus ad trailblazers.
The Adweek divertorial was headlined, “15th Annual ADCOLOR Awards: Honoring the DEI Champions Who Go Above and Beyond.” Two of the usual suspects saluted included:
Lifetime Achievement
Antonio Lucio, Principal and Founder, 5S Diversity; Executive Fellow, Yale School of Management
After 40 years as a celebrated marketing leader, Lucio stepped down as CMO at Facebook last year to focus fully on DEI efforts within the industry. He is known for his philosophy of empathetic leadership and for calling on marketing to become “bilingual and bicultural,” building bridges between what companies want to do and where consumers are.
Catalyst
Marc Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer, Procter & Gamble
Pritchard doesn’t want to see your ad storyboards if they’re not reflective of the diverse audience P&G serves. And the same goes for meetings, which is why Pritchard also champions the necessity of hiring BIPOC staff and demanding the same of partners within the industry.
Um, if the lifetime achiever and catalytic converter are so successfully stellar, why do their White advertising agency co-conspirators confess to having failed at DE&I diversions—and continue to annually admit that there is still much work to be done? Hell, their own companies are DE&I deficient. Why are contrived and clichéd excuses for cultural cluelessness regurgitated year after year? Why routinely erect heat shields to conceal and camouflage the abysmal lack of progress? Sorry, the alleged accomplishments should be accompanied by asterisks.
BTW, the traditional gift for a 15th anniversary is crystal. So maybe the organization will salute Crystal Langhorne. Although they’d probably opt for Billy Crystal, as he has greater star-fucker appeal.
Oh, and has anyone asked Nathan Young to weigh in on matters—doesn’t he qualify as a DE&I champion who goes above and beyond?
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