Art & Copy: Movie Trailer
I'm an ad man at heart. That may be changing, but that's another blog post. This movie art and copy is something I must t see. Of course I noticed the lack of diversity in this promo too, but that's another blog po... st. Hey, no it's not! Hey where are the brothers in this film! Can we get a Harry Webber, the iconoclastic advertising man, cameo in this thing? To bad it looks like the same good ol' boy party. This really gets to the heart of my delima with advertising. I love it so much but it doesn't love me. And I know there are some African American s out there killing it on both the agency and client side. Folks like Geoff Edwards, Jimmy Smith, Georg Olden back in the day or Caralene Robinson at Boost mobile the list goes on and on. Even with the disparaging numbers in the diversity column, people of color are still making a lot of great things happen in the advertising industry.
But I will see it but I don't gotta like it. I mean I might like it but I won't really dig it.
Thanks For sharing Juan, check my man out @ Hybrid Nation!! https://sites.google.com/site/mayuradocs/PinIt.png
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
Im sure if Geoff Edwards, Jimmy Smith, Keith Cartwright, Feh Tarty and jayanta jenkins all brilliant black creatives all put their heads together they could come out with a movie themselves celebrating the need for diversity at GM agencies. Or they could come up with solutions on how to promote or get some color on the creative side themselves at the agencies they work at. Heck these guys are in powerful positions at their agencies. Why arent they doing portfolio reviews or on the hunt for the next great black creatives? Make a movie, make a site, blog, do something but don't complain when white people make their movies from their point of view. Even with the disparaging numbers like you said, why aren't they doing something. I haven't heard any one of these guys get pissed and make a statement or do something about the problem. Remember this is a selfish industry its every man for himself. Legends like Harry Webber try as they might don't have that influence to make key decisions, but he's had a voice of reason. What im getting at is minorities have to do it themselves if they want to see change. White people in this industry could care less, of course their wouldnt be any diversity in the movie. They are used to a "all boys club" for decades. The movie is a product of that.
Craig, thanks for the love. I think you've hit home why there are agencies sprouting up filled with the "good ole boys" that you speak of that market to other "good ole boys" that they can deliver the ethnic audience.
If there was just more diversity in the industry it wouldn't be that difficult. Like you, I'm sure I could go on for days.
The saddest part of advertising, is that its not controlled by the actual people who set trends and know their target market. Which is sad. Its still run by the "good ole boys". We need more people of color behind the lens, and in the creative board rooms of these agencies.
In terms of diversity--
If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it does it make a sound?
yes it does make a sound because if something falls it gives off sound waves. the sound waves move out further and further, but the sound waves stop after a while. just because you cant hear doesnt mean its not there......its like yelling at someone who is deaf with someone right beside you. the deaf person cant hear you but the person thats not deaf can hear you because your voice gives off sound waves! The majority of folks who work in the ad industry don't care about diversity because there not minorities.
Thats been the diversity movement for the past 20 or so years. 1 brave soul out of a thousands speaks out and is ignored and blackballed by an entire industry of white people. The sound waves stop after a while, and no one cares and goes back to business as usual. Until you get a large group of minorities to rise up and boycotts the industry, all you will get is rantings on a blog, and things will remain the same for decades to come. Which the majority could care less for. But like juan said "I could go on for days".
Well, BBDO (if that is your real name), I don't know why these Black advertising luminaries would come out with a movie "celebrating the need for diversity," as you put it, but I think I see your point. You be surprised at how much is being done. Sometimes from an insider point of view it's hard to see the groundswell that's happening right beneath your feet. I have been mentoring for years and programs such as the Marcus Graham Project are doing work that should put big mega agencies to shame. Also you are leaving a comment on a blog that does something everyday towards that end, plus there are many more; see MultiCultClassics, Hustle Knocker and others. I really don't understand why you are such an ardent supporter of these divisive practices. Are you really proud of that? Do you really support this kind of behavior? You seem like a conscientious person who has some semblance of care for fair-play and integrity. It leads me to ask what are you doing to help the cause? You'll hear these words again. WHAT are you doing to help other people in your profession, those less fortunate than you? You're in the big house now, after all your nom de plume is bbdo. Unless that stands for black boy doing others (wrong), I don't think that your name, I'm just being silly. But ask yourself, am I helping to lift others up? Unless it's all about self. Then hey, that's your lot in life and that's cool too. The civil rights movement was not achieved of Black fortitude alone. White people played major and massive roles in achieving those gains. And people like you, inside the system creating their own version of the underground rail road. I can understand why you don't share your real name. It's for fear of retribution. You know that if you put your real name here and your co-workers see you giving a damn about the diversity issue you career may not survive your higher intentions. Your para-sympathetic statements would be seen as a personal affront to your very friends and the corporate power structure you bleed for daily. And that my friend is a very sad statement indeed. Maybe you should take a look inside yourself, that has to be eating at you just a bit or you wouldn't be here on this site leaving this note. As far as minorities having to do it for themselves, why should they, white people didn't do it for themselves. In spite of what you have been told or read, I'm here due to over four hundred years of wealth building, resource creating, 400 years of creating ideas, inventions, innovations, cultural enhancement and creation, technological advancement, exploration, 400 years of scholarly pursuit and contribution. You cannot pretend that black people aren't there working side by side with you right now in some capacity. Please note that I did not mention "slavery" at all, because we have done greater things. White people have not done it for themselves here in America. We have done it together. Not always equally or fairly, but together, sometimes forced, sometimes free willed, but always together. Why the double standard? One more thing, when black agencies "do it for themselves" they are maligned and marginalized by the big gen market shops every time.
As for the movie, if I'm so blessed I will see it and probably enjoy it thoroughly without any thought of race. Just my pure love of art and copy.
Anon, I feel ya. There are a multitude of voices out there. And those voices are beginning to form a chorus. Some are still a lil off key, but they are being heard.
Remember it was rantings on a blog that made a Multi-national like Wal-Mart stand up and listen. And Comcast heard the voices on a blog "comcast must die" and discovered they needed to get their customer service shiz-nik together by listening to comments on tweeter. Go to tweeter right now and say something bad about comcast (if you have it) and see if you don't get a re-tweet from an eager customer service rep. Don't under estimate (y)our voice and the power of these internationally published blogs!
Juan, I have been and probably will be going on for days! Thanks money.
I usually don't comment on message boards. But im inspired to after hearing these comments from BBDO, Craign, ANON, and Juan all make good points. But diversity is probably the most taboo word in advertising. Yes we have organizations, yes we have diversity officers, diversity fairs, advisory boards etc. We've had these things for decades. Just Google it.
So that begs the question if something hasn't worked for decades why are we still traveling on that same road. What we have is a lot of chatter minorities talking amongst themselves, but no real dialogue between industry leaders like Wieden, lee clow, and goodby on how to really get to the root of real problem. The problem is left for minorities to figure out on their own. Most creative leaders don't really feel that the issue of diversity is their problem to solve.
There are no repercussions for being silent.
Because to most in the industry "we are the problem". For whatever reason. Its sad, that people who won the industries most prestigious awards sit by idly while their same industry/agencies suffers from this diversity problem. It affects everyone. Most people hen they hear that word either leave the room, ignore you or change the subject quickly as possibly. But why?!
But realizing the entire industry IS VOID OF DIRECTION, SUBJECT MATTER, AND ORIGINALITY-when it comes to figuring out how to diversify there own agencies. How can clients pay these agencies millions of dollars, and they can't even figure out how to solve diversity themselves. It doesn't paint a good picture that not one agency can be used for a model for diversity.
Which is pathetic and saddening at the same time. Im in my mid 20s but I just hope in my lifetime that someone with a vision and a position of power can challenge the system and start turning this issue around. Seriously, whats even worse is when I explain to young minorities who I mentored in the past and spoken to, and are interested in this industry they get turned off the minute they hear this type of stuff. But I have to tell them, how painful that might be. I tell them just stay positive.
I'm ready to move on and hopefully the industry can to and just fix this growing and painful issue of diversity.
Let me leave you all with two quotes by albert einstein.
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
Albert Einstein
"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." - Albert Einstein
"I think creativity can solve anything... anything... anything...
except diversity."
Post a Comment