Cannes Lions is doing its virtual bit and one of the topics – inevitably – is black representation in the ad industry. Here’s CEO of We Are Pi Alex Bennett-Grant with a taste. Bennett-Grant reckons casting is a particular problem: ...
Read More »Is P&G reaching compassion fatigue with LGBT ‘Pause?’
P&G’s at it again, this time with ‘The Pause’ from Grey New York describing the three seconds or so that LGBTQ people (the ‘Q’ seems to stand for queer or questioning) take before describing themselves to others. For Pride Month. ...
Read More »Facebook ‘hate’ ad boycott gathers steam
The North Face has joined some smaller brands in boycotting Facebook and Facebook-owned Instagram in July as part of a campaign orchestrated by anti-extremist group #StopHateForProfit. In its wake outdoor equipment retailer REI said it will also join the boycott, ...
Read More »Black Lives Matter backlash leaves brands all over the place
Brands may be wishing they’d never discovered “purpose” – because purpose can come back and bite you. Facebook is currently copping it from, among others, #StopHateForProfit which is calling for a July boycott from advertisers in protest at its alleged ...
Read More »Dentsu’s DAN reveals ‘Black Lives Matter’ racial numbers
Dentsu Aegis Network has followed Interpublic by revealing (although it probably didn’t intend to do so publicly) its US racial mix and it makes pretty depressing reading. Black employees made up just 1.8% of executives, 2.5% of management and 6.9% ...
Read More »WPP outlines Black Lives Matter company changes
WPP has announced a series of measures in response to Black Lives Matter and the ‘Call for Change’ from 1200 Black advertising professionals (looks like ‘black’ has to carry a capital letter now.) Among the measures are a fundamental review ...
Read More »Is positive discrimination the only way agencies and other professionals can address Black Lives Matter?
Interpublic’s Michael Roth is clearly trying to take the lead on ad agency employment amid Black Lives Matter and has released some data showing IPG’s BAME (black Asian minority ethnic) representation, compared to a peer group of other “professionals” including ...
Read More »P&G wades into ‘Black Lives Matter’ with Cartwright debut
Keith Cartwright’s new US agency Cartwright & Grey (a co-venture with WPP) is clearly P&G’s choice for its more contentious offerings on political and social matters and here’s its new ‘Black Lives Matter’ effort. It poses a series of questions, ...
Read More »Tucker Carlson: on-the-hoof ad boycotts show advertisers and agencies missing the real point
Even by Fox News standards Tucker Carlson is, um, outspoken from his right wing bully pulpit. And he’s dropped himself in it again with comments on the ‘Black Lives Matter’ George Floyd protest. At least he has with some of ...
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