17414: Discerning The True Lesson On Culture From This Year’s Oscars.

Advertising Age published a perspective titled, “What marketers can learn about culture from this year’s Oscars.”

 

The author opined, “The most compelling moments [at the Academy Awards] all came from collision—across cultures, art forms, generations, and ways of seeing the world.”

 

Can’t help but think the op-ed presented an optimistic notion bordering on pollyannaish delusion.

 

For starters, marketers—and their partnering White advertising agencies—were likely more interested in the commercials that aired during the 98th Academy Awards versus the actual Oscar victories.

 

The advertisements did not represent a collision across cultures; but rather, a domination of White culture—from content to creators.

 

In short, what everyone can learn about Adland’s culture from this year’s Oscars—based on viewing commercials that aired during the broadcast—is the industry runs on privilege, exclusivity, and cultural cluelessness.

 

Adland deserves an Oscar for outstanding performance of systemic racism.

 

What marketers can learn about culture from this year’s Oscars

 

By Aaron Walton

 

If you watched closely, a pattern kept showing up at this year’s Oscars. The most compelling moments all came from collision—across cultures, art forms, generations, and ways of seeing the world.

 

And that matters, because we’re living in a moment that rewards division. Social feeds sort us. Algorithms separate us. Even storytelling is often reduced to sides. But the work that breaks through doesn’t avoid difference. It brings it together.

 

One of the most talked-about films of the night, “Sinners,” takes this idea to new heights. The film brings together creative perspectives that don’t typically sit in the same room—a Swedish composer scoring a deeply American story, a Filipina-Black cinematographer shaping its visual language, and a narrative that draws echoes between Irish and Black histories, to name a few.

 

The Best Original Song category told a similar story. “Golden,” from “KPop Demon Hunters,” became the first K-pop song to win an Oscar. K-pop is, by design, a hybrid—Korean music shaped by hip-hop, R&B, electronic production and global internet culture. It was built for audiences who don’t live inside a single cultural lane.

 

On its best day, Hollywood isn’t just exporting culture anymore. It’s collaborating with it.

Another striking moment came with the presence of legendary artists Misty Copeland and Buddy Guy. At first glance, ballet and Chicago blues don’t exactly share a playlist. One comes from centuries-old European tradition. The other from African American musical innovation rooted in lived experience. And yet, there they were—part of the same cultural moment.

 

At the request of filmmaker Ryan Coogler, Copeland wore a Firebird costume created by Geoffrey Holder, on loan from the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s landmark 1982 production. Embedded in the design was a Sankofa symbol, a West African concept meaning “go back and get it,” a way of saying: draw from the past to move forward.

 

It’s hard to imagine a more precise metaphor for what was happening across the night. Film borrowing from dance. Music shaping narrative. History informing the present. That’s what cultural collision looks like at its best. Intentional. Layered. Forward-moving.

 

And let’s not underestimate the recognition of Amy Madigan. In an industry that often equates relevance with youth, her win felt like an awakening. Because experience brings something different to storytelling. Some things that can’t be rushed.

 

And yet, age remains one of the least talked-about dimensions of inclusion. Brands chase what’s next and often overlook what endures. Longevity isn’t the opposite of innovation. It’s often what makes it possible. Persistence and resilience don’t describe anything that happens overnight.

 

This year also introduced Casting as a new Oscar category. It’s also easy to overlook, but I agree with those who say it’s one of the most important additions in years. Because casting is where culture ignites the story.

 

Who gets placed at the center determines who gets seen, who gets heard, and who feels invited in. Great casting is about more than identifying great talent. It’s about cultural insight, understanding nuance, recognizing authenticity, and seeing what a story can become when the right person steps into it.

 

In many ways, casting is strategy. It shapes the story before the first scene is ever shot.

 

Even the tone of the Oscar ceremony reflected collision. Conan O’Brien approached the night with satire as he tested the audience’s appetite for political humor, and acknowledged tension without losing the room. Jimmy Kimmel, in contrast, took a more direct route, leaning into political commentary.

 

Both approaches worked. And together, they pointed to something brands are still figuring out. Do you meet people where they are, or do you push them somewhere new? There’s no single answer. But taking a position, however you do it, is part of staying relevant.

 

The Oscars are easy to dismiss as entertainment. But they’re also a real-time read on what resonates. And this year, the signal was clear.

 

The work that breaks through doesn’t come from a single perspective. It comes from intersection, which requires different voices in the same room, different histories in the same story, and people who don’t see the world the same way—and aren’t supposed to.

 

Because that’s where something new happens. For years, the conversation around diversity has focused on fairness. And we shouldn’t forget how much that matters. But we also need to focus on something more active.

 

Not just inclusion. Integration.

 

Not just representation. Collaboration.

 

Because division may be louder. But collision is more powerful.

 

Division narrows the story. Collision expands it.

 

And the most interesting work right now, the work that moves people, is doing something even more ambitious. It’s reaching back. Pulling forward. Holding multiple influences at once. Not smoothing them out but letting them shape something new.

 

Because if this year’s Oscars showed us anything, it’s that the future doesn’t come from choosing sides. It comes from what we’re willing to bring together.

 

Aaron Walton is CEO at Walton Isaacson

17402: Obsidianworks Flowing Freely And Independently.

 

Advertising Age spotlighted Obsidianworks, the enterprise co-founded by A-list actor Michael B. Jordan and former Nike executive Chad Easterling.

 

The firm is restating its position with a “New Money America” platform.

 

The Ad Age content is definitely worth reading.

 

Michael B. Jordan’s agency regains its independence—behind Obsidianworks’ bet on ‘New Money America’

 

By Brian Bonilla

 

Obsidianworks, the agency co-founded by actor Michael B. Jordan and former Nike executive Chad Easterling, is going fully independent by buying back the minority stake previously owned by WME Group’s 160over90 since 2021.

 

The move is intended to help Obsidianworks grow faster and more deliberately, according to Easterling, who serves as the agency’s CEO. Part of that growth plan is Obsidianworks reframing its positioning to embrace what it calls “New Money America,” which Easterling describes as younger, more diverse and culturally fluid generation that is driving the largest wealth transfer in history.

 

The agency launched in 2019 and took on investment from 160over90 in 2021. At the time, reports said the investment was worth about $20 million.

 

Easterling declined to comment on the figure or disclose the financial terms of the buyback. The decision to regain full ownership was not the result of a failed partnership but rather the next phase of a plan that had been in place since the beginning, he added.

 

“When we entered the partnership, going independent was always part of the plan as well,” Easterling said. “For us and for them, it was really about wanting to help us get established—help us get the fundamentals and structure in place.”

 

160over90 wasn’t immediately available for comment.

 

Michael B. Jordan is also currently managed by WME, which is part of WME Group.

 

Obsidianworks’ origins

 

Obsidianworks was founded on the belief that the traditional agency model needed to evolve.

 

“Mike saw an opportunity from his side as an actor—working with studios and production companies that were asking him about connecting with consumers—and as a brand ambassador working with brands and trying to connect to consumers,” Easterling said.

 

From the start, the founders wanted to build a company that could scale beyond Jordan’s personal network.

 

“We didn’t want this to be where he’s trying to walk us into every single door, and he feels that pressure,” Easterling said.

 

That ambition is what made the partnership with 160over90 appealing. The relationship gave Obsidianworks infrastructure, credibility and the ability to operate like a more established agency early in its life.

 

One notable project produced alongside 160over90 was the creation of the Legacy Classic, a televised HBCU men’s basketball showcase held in Newark, New Jersey. Easterling said that led to work with Marriott, along with projects the companies collaborated on for Meta and Nike.

 

“The partnership allowed us to have a level of structure and foundation that let us not only get after one or two projects as a small, nimble shop, but get after multiple bodies of work that overlapped at the same time,” he said.

 

Why independence feels right now

 

After five years of building the business and establishing a roster of clients with support from 160over90, Easterling believes the agency has proven its model and can now expand more freely.

 

“Now feels like the right time because we want to begin to move faster, take more risks and define our own growth trajectory without constraints,” he said.

 

That expansion is tied closely to Obsidianworks’ focus on “New Money America.”

 

“They’re not niche,” Easterling said of this consumer group. “They are the growth engine many brands are trying to get to, but not recognizing.”

 

Easterling said the concept reflects both research and real-world observation. It includes consumers whose financial realities may not always appear in traditional income metrics—people with full-time jobs who also generate income through side businesses or entrepreneurial ventures.

 

“We’re not just talking about Black consumers or multicultural consumers—we’re talking about that entire demographic across every background and nationality,” he said. “They’re bringing about the largest transfer of wealth, and they operate differently than millennials and Gen X.”

 

According to Easterling, this audience is more entrepreneurial, digitally native and fluid in how it defines status, success and spending.

 

Beyond the ‘multicultural’ label

 

That perspective also shapes how Obsidianworks positions itself within the agency landscape.

 

Easterling acknowledged that when the agency launched, many conversations around it centered on multicultural marketing and inclusive work. But he said the agency never deliberately positioned itself as a multicultural shop. At that time, he argued, many multicultural agencies were still using “outdated” approaches to reach diverse audiences.

 

Obsidianworks, he said, aims to sit between those two worlds.

 

“Yes, any call we go on, people know we’re multicultural—we have that authority,” Easterling said. However, he said, that label alone shouldn’t define the business. “We were never here to be diversity consultants.”

 

Instead, Easterling often frames the company more broadly as an agency or enterprise built to help brands grow.

 

“Typically I say we’re an agency—or I say we’re an enterprise,” he said, sometimes joking that “we’re a construction company for brands and New Money America—we’re builders.”

 

Obsidianworks’ growth and clients

 

Some of Obsidianworks’ work already reflects that positioning. Easterling pointed to the Legacy Classic as an early example of the agency’s New Money America thesis. The event connected with HBCU communities through basketball while introducing those schools and experiences to audiences outside their traditional geographic centers.

 

“We did it in Newark, New Jersey, because it’s easy to do things where HBCUs are, in the South,” Easterling said. “We wanted to bring this to a new audience—introducing and educating a new audience about HBCUs and introducing them to that experience.”

 

The event also aimed to generate economic activity for Newark and bring national attention to the city.

 

Today, Obsidianworks’ client roster includes Nike, Converse, Jordan Brand, Meta, Target and Spanx. The agency currently employs about 20 full-time staffers and plans to add another 10 to 12 people during the first half of the year.

 

Despite a broader pullback in investment toward diverse-owned agencies, Easterling said the company has maintained strong client relationships.

 

“I’d be crazy to say there wasn’t a shift—absolutely there was,” he said. Even so, he added, “the demand for culturally relevant work that connects to consumers and to those audiences has never been higher.”

 

The role of entertainment

 

Jordan, who is up for best actor for “Sinners” at the Oscars this Sunday, remains an important part of Obsidianworks’ strategic vision, though Easterling emphasized the agency was never intended to function as a vanity project built solely around the actor’s career. Still, its connection to entertainment could become more significant as brands increasingly seek ways to participate in film, TV and other entertainment properties.

 

“Before, that wasn’t the biggest focus for us, even though we could do it,” Easterling said. “Now it’s more of a focus.”

 

Obsidianworks’ decision to go independent was not driven by the broader trend toward indie agencies finding success with clients, Easterling said, though he acknowledged the advantages the structure can provide. He also didn’t rule out future M&A opportunities or building capabilities, but said that it isn’t the agency’s main focus right now.

 

“Being independent is a strength and has benefits,” he said. “It allows us to move quickly and focus on delivering measurable impact for clients without as many layers.”

 

Clarification: This story has been updated to include the current name of WME Group.