16488: The Year In Review—AI Stands For Artificial Inclusivity In Adland.

 

For Adland in 2023, the dominating topic was AI—although from MultiCultClassics’ perspective, the acronym stands for Artificial Inclusivity.

 

Forget rizz—with DEI, DEIB, or DIRE, there was a definite fizzling.

 

Grade the industry with a D- for diminished dedication, disinterest, diversion, deception, departing, dismantling, delegating, and defunding. Then again, the true mark is F for faux faithfulness, falsehoods, fabrication, floundering, friction, fear, fracturing, fading, failure, flimsy financing, fascist, and fucked up.

 

In short, DEI is changing to DIE—diversity, equity, and inclusion are dying in Adland.

 

Here are lowlights that dimmed during the year:

 

• Advertising Age presented predictions for 2023 from 33 industry executives—and only three women of color mentioned DEI, demonstrating that delegating diversity continues.

 

• Adweek opened with “AW/Outlook 2023”—featuring brand leaders claiming they’d keep prioritizing multicultural marketing. The alleged leaders failed to clarify and admit, however, that the practice would remain a low priority.

 

• Both trade publications, incidentally, reduced publishing DEI-related content—and the Ad Age Diversity Council has seemingly been inactive for over a year. Even Digiday Media’s Worklife quietly dropped DEI from its display content categories.

 

• White advertising agencies and brands discovered a different world to exploit via HBCUs, yet the support is hysterically clumsy and historically crumby.

 

• Publicis Groupe contracted disease divertsity, leveraging cancer to concoct a Cannes-cosponsored contest with a prize whose value far exceeds the corporate contribution to promote equality.

 

• Despite the DEI downturn, performative PR experienced an uptick, with White advertising agencies proclaiming DEI progress and brands announcing increased multicultural marketing. Such statements were countered by industry insiders opining why DEI is so hard and why DEI initiatives are a load of BS—as well as a 4As survey exposing that White people control over 90% of US advertising agencies, and an ANA survey revealing (again!) lackluster marketer engagement with diverse suppliers. Additionally, Black creators, Black influencers, and Black-owned media all saw lessened interest and investment, citing the many money promises that have been forgotten and broken. None of this is surprising to Media Mogul Byron Allen.

 

• Brands abandoned the LGBTQ+ community too, thanks in large part to Bud Light courting Dylan Mulvaney—who was quickly dumped by the InBev beer franchise.

 

• Acrimonious acronyms like ERG and ESG have negatively impacted DEI’s EKG.

 

• While reviewing acronyms, it’s worth noting CDO TTFN. A far-fetched idea suggested CDOs be integrated in AI decisions—but a safer bet involves utilizing technological tools to replace the executives.

 

• To emphasize the global DEI disinterest, examine In for 13 Pledge’s plunging participation, World Federation of Advertisers’ 2023 Global DEI Census, and McCann Global ECD Pierre Lipton’s fucking boredom.

 

• In sharp contrast, groups that were embraced and elevated include Old White Guys and Old White Gals, White Chief Diversity Officers, White Religious People, White Executive Creative Directors, White Managing Directors, White French billionaires with blood ties, and White women—although the latter group is paid significantly less than male counterparts (but still waaaaay more than counterparts of color).

 

In summation, 2023 presented the Year of Artificial Inclusivity—whereby Adland’s performative, box-checking bullshit was progressively erased by advanced systemic racism.