Who put's it down?! Who creates the most culturally relevant ads? Who's ads best transcends race to bring home universal truths. Which agency has the most creative AA advertising? What's the proof? What would you submit a link to show and prove? Is it; Sanders Wingo, True, Uniworld, Global Hue, Spike DDB, Visions USA, Images USA, C.H. Williams, Culture Advertising Design (you'ont know shawty?), Fuse or one of the other hot shops out there??? https://sites.google.com/site/mayuradocs/PinIt.png
An African American Agency would NEVER do an ad like this one above... but really it's a no brainer! There is a place for this.
Years ago while working at JWT Atlanta, I was asked by one of my white counterparts, "who does the best black ads?" I smiled slightly while doing an extensive frantic self brain scan that would have shorted out a MRI machine. Black agencies flashed in my mind, while I swatted them away disapprovingly like the virtual screens in Tom Cruise's face in Minority Report. Before I could narrow down to my favorite agency (or falsely call the name of one he never knew existed) he brandished a sh*t eating grin and said "Nike!" I laughed and protested, "I thought you meant on the agency side not the client." Before I could continue with my rant about the misdirection of his questioning tactics he absconded with slight witted victory (curses, foiled again). I went to my office with my version of his question in my mind. I went through the usual suspects. Burrell, Global Hue, UniWorld, Kaiser Söse... Well, if I answer the question from his point of view He was right. But much to my chagrin – he was right. They have consistently done advertising that is entrenched in the African American culture and parlayed the strengths of African American art, music, literature, etc. Who could forget that dope basketball bounced to the tune of Africa Bambaataa's Planet Rock?! Who hasn't entertained themselves, if only momentarily, trying to make a beat with a b-ball? Hey maybe it is just me.
Is it really true, does Nike chump us all??? Are they the ones with their ear closest to the ground, are their heads widest open to our culture for ideas? Or does their lead agency W+K dig deeper into "our" proverbial crates than we do ourselves?
Now of coarse I could go on my usual rant about bigger budgets and more freedom, yada –yada. Butit's been said a poor craftsmen complains about his tools or a poor agency complains about his clients (GUILTY as charged)! The fact is I gotta step up my game! How 'bout you?? https://sites.google.com/site/mayuradocs/PinIt.png
This was printed in Step Inside Design magazine by the agency Room 17. I absolutely love it. I don't know if I would have balls to present it to a client in this form... but maybe that explains a few whack projects. This gives me an impetus to be even more authentic with my clients in an effort to produce better work. Maybe I'll create my own version of this to present to clients. When it's ready I'll post it here. This is a good read. So read it already. https://sites.google.com/site/mayuradocs/PinIt.png
This posters for MTV shows great illustration style, incredible hand drawn type and the much loved often maligned afro! Is it getting over used? Nah, I still love it. Anybody who's tired of it didn't have a beautiful mother or father who rocked one back in the day. So cliche, maybe, classic certainly! Ok, it's new term time... Classic Cliche... ughn! There you have it. I'm not above cliches any how, I'll be damned if that aint a tired ass/inspired ass – black power fist in my logo... ughn!!
cred:
Advertising Agency: Ogilvy Cape Town, South Africa
Creative Directors: Jonathan Beggs, Gerry Human
Art director: Suzanne Jenner
Copywriter: Trevor Sacks
Illustration: Am I Collective https://sites.google.com/site/mayuradocs/PinIt.png
This is like old school new. I don't personally know the AD/designer but she rocked it. It's austere and almost cold. But she manages pack a lot of visual heat. I guess if you came up in the culture you can't help but get misty when you see a mic or memorabilia from the original disciplines... sniff.. sniff.
African Modern is a design aesthetic I've been following, practicing for a couple of years now. I'm trying to see where I can take it personally. It's a bit of an oxymoron since African art has influenced and fed modern for some time now. Now there is a big resurgence of African sculpture and other art forms, maybe there's an opportunity to get more traction behind this idea. https://sites.google.com/site/mayuradocs/PinIt.png
Thanks to Apple and its superior design, marketing, advertising and, well, anything else to do with creating and selling a product, most other global communications brands have languished in a kind of brand-image purgatory. Sony is fighting back with this great campaign created by Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney, helmed by art director Eron Broughton. The agency took Sony's earphones and literally mapped out the New York subway system, mimicking a traditional subway map. It's a simple idea but powerful in its execution, giving Sony a much-need dose of coolness. At last, other brands are thinking outside of the square. Now all Sony needs to do is apply that principle to its actual products. Innovate or die, guys. - Laura Demasi https://sites.google.com/site/mayuradocs/PinIt.png
We have completely built our agency on black hair care. We have worked for virtually every hair care company there is in the states and a few internationally. It has been a labour of love. I decided about ten years ago the black hair care section of stores was the worst looking place in the store... Theme music swells... Dum – dum – dah... In a world where black hair is doomed to hurt the eyes and burn the scalps of the millions that would dare go near... one man set out on a quest to step down from the ivory towers with their long lunches, catered client meetings, reasonable deadlines, lofty budgets, budgets with money and money budgets! Budgets be damned! This time it's personal! WTH! This is best hair care packaging I've never done. Good job, kudos to the client!!!
Handan. Hand made jewellery. Right. Yep, you knew it. Sooner or later this blog would use the dirty "R" word. Follow along boys and girls... we are going there. But I'm not angry and I'm not angry about these ads. It's just the blatant demeaning objectification of black people. Black people as jewelry. Seriously? They seem to say "poor black children made them just for you, because you're worth it" or "the ultimate in fashion is now 'wearable n=words.'" I'm amazed that no one at the agency saw this as a problem. I think we just got a little pysche peep here. We can actually see a little of what these people were thinking. Now maybe it was just an oversight and I believe it was. I'm sure there was no malicious intent in creating these ad. But to some, this type of imagery hurts. Not always right away but, something like this can tell a child your not human at all. You are, in this instance, an adornment. I don't think anyone involved would like to see their child hanging for dear life from a dookie chain as Kanye West's Jesus piece. By the way, it is considered by some just as wrong when a black professional athlete adorns himself with arms full of white women... or, um, is that not the same thing? Well, I know some sisters get really pissed!
P.S. These would make the bomb ads for Amnesty international! Something like "Stop unpaid child labor" or Child labor enslaves us all..." you know with the hands being placed in these ads exactly were shackle were placed on us.
Booty's by request!!! All Asses in!
Cred: Alice/BBDO, Istanbul https://sites.google.com/site/mayuradocs/PinIt.png
These are nice to look at. I always marvel at how big companies can just do brand maintenance ads. It's really cool to be able do approach projects from a artistic point of view that allows people a chance to simply enjoy the intangibles of a brands culture. People are smart and they get it. Props to the agency.
cred: I don't know, a little help here... anybody know who did these? https://sites.google.com/site/mayuradocs/PinIt.png
The iconic and strangely resilient afro... it's a lasting cliche that has really endured. Unlike the hair do itself. It was a real labor to keep that fluffy puff in a shape that didn't get you laughed at. Folks just don't know. Thank God for the jheri curl phase that followed. https://sites.google.com/site/mayuradocs/PinIt.png
Not every ad is a good ad and we probably have an unfair share of horrible ads. I have made some stinkers, I mean some real crap. It is in the interest of less eye burn & less creative brain hemorrhaging, we have instituted the Kiss My Black Ads - Booty. I can't do it all by myself (because I have too many friends out there making ads). Yet still some ads deserved to be called out and dammit I have found just the right team of über-creative, overly opinionated, Kanye West temper-tantrum having, advertisingest, designest, self righteous, "yeah I used to work general market, but I was too deep for 'em", SOB's in the Black Ad game today to get your ass told! We've devised a rating system and for these anonymous industry pros to help me judge ads for whackness. Ads are judged on concept, creativity, layout, writing, relevance. A bad ad can garner anywhere from 1 to 5 "bootys". So work hard and avoid getting the full meat of the booty! We understand that bad work is often due to client input but, it's been said a poor craftsman complains about his tools. With that said... let the Booty begin!
(I could use a few more alternate judges. If you are interested drop me a line in the comments you will remain anonymous) https://sites.google.com/site/mayuradocs/PinIt.png
WASOIL does great looking work. The patina on the art gives it depth and a sense of history. Rich saturated colors add presence to the pieces. Adding a hint more of K to the CMYK infuses colors with weight.
These are interesting. I could see this done with every shade African American skin from High yella, "my mama was French and Indian" to Deep ebon, first human black. Looks like I'm going have to steal this concept. I'll do it! (oh, like you haven't done it) I will bite these for one of my clients. That's right I said it, I'll bite it like Ozzy Osbourne on a bats ass! I'm really going for the whole good artist borrow but, great artist snack on bat ass, or something like that.
Comments? I have no credits for this as of yet. If anyone knows who did these I'd love to have that info. Unless I sell it to a client first. At which time I will remove this post and proclaim my own glorious brilliance. https://sites.google.com/site/mayuradocs/PinIt.png
EEEEEEEYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWN! Can someone remind me why I posted this again. Oh, black/brown skin... This a lame ad for tires that looks like a terrible ad for shoes. Double booty duty! cred: Advertising Agency: C'Direct, Le Lamentin, Martinique Creative Director / Art Director: Hugues lison Copywriters: Sabrina Rimbaud, Jacques Brunet Photographer: Vianney Saintenoy Retouching: Studio10 Published: August 2008 https://sites.google.com/site/mayuradocs/PinIt.png
