In Obama era , more television ads project images of racial harmony
By Todd Lewan
The Associated Press
(March 2, 2009) Ever see an inner-city schoolyard filled with white, Asian and black teens shooting hoops? Or middle-aged white and Latino men swigging beer and watching the Super Bowl on their black neighbor's couch? Or Asians and Latinos dancing the night away in a hip-hop club?
All it takes is a television.
Yes, that mesmerizing mass purveyor of aspiration, desire and self-awareness regularly airs commercials these days that show Americans of different races and ethnicities interacting in integrated schools, country clubs, workplaces and homes, bonded by their love of the products they consume.
Think about one of Pepsi's newest spots, "Refresh Anthem," which debuted during the Super Bowl. The ad, which features Bob Dylan and hip-hop producer will.i.am, is a collage of images from the '60s and today that celebrate generations past and present.
Whites and blacks are shown returning from war, surfing, skateboarding, dancing and waving American flags at political rallies, while a boyish Dylan and a present-day will.i.am take turns singing the Dylan classic, "Forever Young," each in his signature style.
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For years, advertisers have coveted the 18-25 market because of their assumptions about the ability to persuade the group into buying their product. This excitement about the demographic however, comes packed with assumptions about older demographics, like the baby boomers. The thought that this group is set in their ways and is more difficult to persuade has predominated the industry. While some advertisers are starting to take notice of the baby boomer market and overcome the stereotypes, others cling to their youth markets. Of those who do consider the Baby Boomers as market worthy, many of them market to the entire group as a monolith. The Black Baby boomers, which by some sources account for approximately 11% of this market, are grossly underrepresented in marketing that is supposed to entice them.As Woodstock, sex drugs and rock and roll tend to be thematic in much of the Baby Boomer nostalgic marketing many Black Baby Boomers find themselves detached from such commercials aimed to reach their age group. If we consider Black Baby Boomers those born between 1946 and 1964, we are considering a consumer group who is now in their late 40’s to early 60’s. We then, are talking about a consumer cast who was in its novelty stage as consumers between ages 18-24 when they were in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Theirs is a cultural memory quite different from their white boomer counterparts. Considering the history of Blaxploitation film and its extinction, we could look to how blacks have been represented in advertising in a similar way.In advertising as with other media, portraying multicultural groups indicates that a group holds a certain amount of power, or security in society and is at least a noted identity. This is particularly true in a capitalistic culture. Non-representation suggests a powerlessness of the status of groups lacking material or political power.This ad represents a form of symbolic racism in that it neglects an entire generation’s experiences. Black Baby Boomers are expected to choose an identity between the two presented –the 60’s white, Woodstock loving, lighter holding, skate boarding and surfing, flag waving representation, or the 2009, multicultural hip hop loving, cell phone waving, skate boarding and surfing, flag waving representation. Neither fits. The American flag, for example, was a sign of oppression to many Black Boomers until Barack Obama was elected president. The semiotics of the flag alone create a sign of neglect of a culture’s perception.The “Refresh Anthem” commercial is positioned to market to white boomers because White is thought to be the common denominator. Black Baby Boomers face symbolic racism in their absence from Madison Avenue’s representations. While the group’s roots are in individuality and Black Nationalism, they have been whitewashed and stripped of cultural identity. In their heritage’s place is a commodified reflection hip hop hijacked by White America. Ironically, Black boomers, once the ‘Say it Loud’ generation have been silenced.
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