Diversity in the Ad Industry
Lack of diversity in any
situation creates narrow minds. Although full of “creatives” the advertising
industry is no exception to the narrow mindedness that comes when diversity is
not found within a workforce. Most anyone would deny accusations of being racist
or not being open to different group’s opinions and diversity. Unfortunately
stereotyping falls under these categories.
Advertising as a whole often uses stereotypes to reinforce their
messages.
Ad A.)
Ad B.
Teams that believed this was
the most effective form of delivering their message created these
advertisements. My question, what would advertisement A say if the picture had
been a white father and son? What would advertisement B say if there had been a
larger amount of women on the advertising team?
Advertisement A was created
with the African American consumer as the focus during the 70’s. But the
article, When Do Multicultural Ads Become
Offensive? Questions how advertisers reach their intended demographics
without stepping on stereotypes. This takes a diverse group to be able to have
this conversation in the workroom.
These examples highlight the
necessity of having diversity not only in advertising but also in the
industry’s workforce. According to the American Advertising Federation
Principle Eight, “advertisers and their agencies, and online and offline media,
should discuss privately potential ethical concerns, and members of the team
creating ads should be given permission to express internally their ethical
concerns.”
Ad Age recently produced an
article by Gina Grillo, The Advertising
Industry Needs Diverse Leadership to Thrive, this article states As an
industry that exists to communicate with consumers of all backgrounds and walks
of life, the advertising industry stands to benefit more than most by
cultivating a highly diverse and inclusive environment that reflects the
changing demographics around us.” I believe this to be a proper reflection of
the ad world.
Sources:
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