9979: Stove Top’s Plymouth Crock.

In What’s Black About It? by Pepper Miller and Herb Kemp, the authors spotlighted a case study involving Stove Top. To target Black consumers, the brand tapped research showing the audience preferred using cornbread over loaf bread, and referred to the side dish as dressing versus stuffing (see excerpt above). This marketing insight came to mind while viewing the new Stove Top campaign by The Martin Agency—a White shop in Richmond, Virginia—featuring annoyed Pilgrims to position the product as being great for occasions beyond Thanksgiving. Can’t help but wonder how the characters and concept cross over to Black consumers. Or Latinos. Or Native Americans.

Maybe Stove Top will produce a targeted commercial featuring Malcolm X proclaiming, “We didn’t land on Plymouth Rock. The rock was landed on us.”

9978: RadioShack Needs Shuttering.

Adweek reported RadioShack has selected a new White advertising agency which is actually Grey—that is, Grey New York. Oddly enough, RadioShack’s chief marketing officer left the company last month, and the retailer has yet to identify a successor. This puts Grey in an uncomfortable position; it’s as if they just got married, with the spouse to be named later. Then again, does it really matter? The true problems RadioShack faces will not be solved by a White agency, as evidenced by the photo above. Incumbent Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners’ “The Shack” branding is lost in the overall customer experience. The place continues to feel like a five and dime for pocket-protector-wearing CB enthusiasts.

RadioShack Selects New Creative Agency

Incumbent Butler, Shine declined to defend

By Andrew McMains

The Shack has a new lead agency. The New York office of Grey won RadioShack’s creative account after a review, according to sources.

The WPP agency succeeds Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners on the business. The brand spends an estimated $200 million annually on advertising.

McCann Erickson and Goodness Mfg. were the other finalists in the review, which began in November. Select Resources International in Santa Monica, Calif., managed the search.

Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners of Sausalito, Calif., had worked on the brand since 2009. The incumbent was invited to defend, but ultimately declined.

Media planning and buying efforts were not in play and remain at WPP’s Mindshare.

In an odd coda to the review, Lee Applbaum, RadioShack’s chief marketing officer since 2008, exited the retailer last month. The company has yet to name a successor in that role.

Grey did not return calls, and the Fort Worth, Texas-based RadioShack could not immediately be reached.

9953: Black Businesses In The Black…?

“Black Business Ownership Surges” is the title of a recent addition to
The New America fluff series from Adweek, Draftfcb and the U.S. Census Bureau. The report stated, “According to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Business owners, the number of Black-owned businesses in the U.S. grew at around triple the national rate.” It’s a safe bet the figures do not apply to Black-owned advertising agencies. But maybe the boys at Made will launch a multicultural division to service the prospective clients.

9934: Save The White Creatives.

Adweek reported Ogilvy & Mather alums Nancy Vonk and Janet Kestin are launching a training company for young creative staffers. “With agencies no longer investing time and money to bring people along, it’s pretty much ‘sink or swim,’ and a lot of talented people sink,” declared Vonk. “Careers are stalling, work is suffering, and retention is poor.” Oh, so it’s not just the minority adfolks who require extra training?

Vonk and Kestin Launch Training Consultancy

Ex-O&M creative leaders fill a void in advertising

By Andrew McMains

Nancy Vonk and Janet Kestin have turned the dearth of training in the ad industry into a business model.

Vonk and Kestin, co-chief creative officers of the Toronto office of Ogilvy & Mather, are leaving the agency to launch Swim, a company that will help train and nurture creative staffers. The business opens next month.

“With agencies no longer investing time and money to bring people along, it’s pretty much ‘sink or swim,’ and a lot of talented people sink,” Vonk said in a statement. “Careers are stalling, work is suffering, and retention is poor.”

Swim will offer in-person and online training, and incorporate the experiences of leaders from many creatively driven industries. The company will work primarily with agencies. Its first client is the duo’s former employer: Ogilvy.

In unveiling the business, Vonk cited a spring Adweek story that illustrated how a Starbucks barista gets more training than the average agency staffer. That story stemmed from a talent management survey that Arnold global CEO Andrew Benett unveiled at a 4A’s conference in March.

To fill the CCO slot that Vonk and Kestin are vacating, Ogilvy named Ian MacKellar, executive creative director at Canadian independent shop Bensimon Byrne. Earlier in his career, MacKellar was a creative leader at BBDO Toronto.

9916: Young Influentials, Same Old Story.

The Young Influentials represent Adweek’s picks for “20 under 40 who are wicked smart and rebooting your world.” As always, our ad world looks predominately, exclusively White. Wonder if any of the influentials have focused their wicked smartness on fostering inclusiveness.

9895: Importing Cultural Cluelessness.

Adweek interviewed Draftfcb Chief Strategy Officer Jamie Shuttleworth, whose mumbo-jumbo about “Importing Culture” completely crystallized his agency’s cultural cluelessness. Bonus points to anyone who can decipher what the fuck Shuttleworth is attempting to communicate.

9856: Stereotypical View On Stereotypes.

The New America series from Adweek, Draftfcb and the U.S. Census Bureau included a perspective titled, “Is Including A Stereotype Inclusive Enough?” For this piece, Draftfcb looked beyond its staff and U.S. Census Bureau press releases, tapping Caroline Ceniza-Levine to ponder culture-infused comedy and minority representation in media. Guess it would have been too outrageous to find an actual Draftfcb executive to comment on the topic, as the agency is notorious for displaying insensitivity and cultural cluelessness. Ceniza-Levine is of Filipino descent, and she mused on Asian characters in popular programs. Wonder how she’d feel about Draftfcb’s work for KFC.

Is Including A Stereotype Inclusive Enough?

When are you allowed to joke about another minority? Never

By Caroline Ceniza-Levine

When I took an intro to comedy class, my very experienced comedy teacher had a strict rule: you can make fun of your own race, gender, or ethnicity but nobody else’s. When a Korean classmate made fun of her long-time Jewish boyfriend? Not allowed. When a white classmate with a series of Dominican boyfriends made snarky observations about them? Not allowed. We see this play out in everyday life: communication among people of the same race, gender or ethnicity can push the envelope in a way that people communicating with races, genders or ethnicities outside of their own cannot.

It might not be such a horrible thing to insist that only those of the same race, gender or ethnicity be allowed free rein on jokes or snark. Do I really want to encourage what might devolve into a slur-fest? I’m of Filipino descent, but, if I’m looking for more representation in media and advertising of Filipinos (or Asians in general), then I either need to lift my only-Filipinos-can-talk-about-Filipinos rule or hope and pray that there is a Filipino writer on Louie or a Filipino creative director for The Gap. How many Filipino executives are calling the shots for media programming or advertising campaigns?

Therein lies the conundrum. I don’t like it when non-Filipinos comment about Filipinos. At the same time, I’d love to see more of us in mainstream media, and I don’t want to wait until we fix the diversity in hiring behind-the-scenes before we can fix the diversity in front of the camera. Who knows how long true parity in hiring for all positions will take?

Furthermore, I don’t want to suggest that one Filipino can speak for all. I certainly couldn’t fill that role, as I was born in the U.S., don’t speak Tagalog, and haven’t visited the Philippines for over 20 years. I have a blended family of my own, so my kids are even further removed. How much pull does a fractional Filipino have? Then again, we’re talking about entertainment, not an academic dissertation. Do we really have to be the thing we make observations about (comedy class notwithstanding)? Do we need statistically significant sampling for every cross-cultural reference?

Does lack of representation behind the scenes lead to stereotyping in the content? I don’t want Filipinos to only play the nurse in a hospital show or the straight-A student in the high school show. Yet, I was giddy with excitement at the casting of Sandra Oh on Grey’s Anatomy and Harry Shum, Jr. on Glee.

My kids are growing up with The Wonder Girls, Phineas and Ferb and Suite Life, all with active Asian characters. When I was growing up, there were no Filipina nurses on ER or Asians at all in Head of the Class. So my kids feel more included. Asians aren’t invisible anymore. Of course, the Wonder Girls are trying to assimilate, Baljeet in Phineas and Ferb is super-smart with a thick Indian accent that borders on caricature, and London Tipton of Suite Life has her riches from her white dad (her mom’s side is Asian and of course they work in the fields). So my kids are included, but stereotyped. Is that good enough?

When I was younger and fawning over my movie, TV, and magazine idols, I would have loved to see Asians in mainstream media, even stereotypes. So I’ll take Baljeet and Mike Chang’s Asian F (as in getting an A- instead of an A) as a sign of progress. But we’ve still got a long way to go.

Caroline Ceniza-Levine is a co-founder of SixFigureStart and a stand-up comic with Comic Diversity.

9854: Madison Avenue Manifesto…?

The New America series brought to you by Adweek, Draftfcb and the U.S. Census Bureau closed out February with a Black History Month perspective from Draftfcb President and CEO Laurence Boschetto titled, “Dignified Intolerance: Creating a diverse and inclusive world is not something that should be debated but embraced.” Following a lengthy gushing over Black women in American history, Boschetto dropped the gauntlet:

I recently proclaimed at Draftfcb that by 2014 we will be an organization that no longer uses the term “diversity and inclusion.” We are working tirelessly, from the C-suite to the intern ranks, to foster an atmosphere of inclusion, where everyone is empowered to reach great heights.

As an industry, we all need to embrace diversity and make sure inclusion becomes our rallying cry. A new generation is already recognizing that the “new mass” rejects outdated stereotypes regarding color, gender and sexual orientation. They are cross-cultural and cross-behavioral. Our industry needs to follow suit. It’s not just the right thing to do; it will also boost our bottom line. Companies that don’t mirror the dramatic shifts in our population simply will not survive.

To my fellow CEOs and C-suite executives, change starts with us. We must work together to start a joint uprising that will not tolerate discrimination and exclusion. We must lead by example and mentor our future leaders, instilling in them the knowledge that they should pursue paths they might have thought closed to them. We must tirelessly practice what we preach and prove to the marketplace that we are current, relevant and represent the diverse constituents in the New America we are trying to influence.

That is my stake in the ground. Please add your stakes to mine. Let’s get this movement rolling. It would be an achievement that might just prove to matter most.

In some ways, it’s easy for Boschetto to make such a bold statement, as his agency—or at least his role as Draftfcb President and CEO—will probably be gone by 2014.

But seriously, is it sane for the man to claim his agency will achieve within two years what the industry has failed to accomplish in over 70 years—especially when his own company has demonstrated an absolute inability to simply stop producing offensive and culturally clueless advertising? Boschetto also hollered Draftfcb was “The Agency of the Future” a few years ago, and the world is still waiting for that label to be realized.

Give Boschetto credit for making perhaps the most revolutionary declaration on diversity by a White man in the industry. Too bad that few people will have read his words, as the perspective only appeared in a self-promotional section of a third-rate trade publication. The majority of Madison Avenue leaders can just admit they never got a copy of the memo-manifesto.

9849: Advertising Is Women’s Work.

Just in time for the upcoming International Women’s Day, Adweek interviewed Leo Burnett CCO Susan Credle, who offered her perspectives on women in advertising. When considering other businesses in 1985, Credle thought advertising appeared to be “the most welcoming to women,” and she went on to list numerous prominent adwomen who inspired her to pursue a career in the field. “I never got into this business thinking that it’s going to be tough for a woman,” declared Credle. “And I actually never felt it was tough for a woman—I thought it was just tough.” Credle is not the first to express such beliefs, contrary to others who wonder about the dearth of dames, particularly in the creative department.

9816: Draftfcb Fails To Show Manliness.

Another entry in The New America series from Adweek, Draftfcb and the U.S. Census Bureau—Man Down—is shameless self-promotion for the advertising agency. Draftfcb Director of Strategic Planning Matthew Wilcox shows how Census findings led to male insights that inspired a Dockers concept. The research was likely also repackaged to sell the hideous Miller Lite “Man Up” work. Yo, Draftfcb, real admen don’t brag about shitty campaigns.

9806: More Draftfcbullshit.

Adweek, Draftfcb and the U.S. Census Bureau are still churning out questionable content for The New America series. The latest press release publishing—A Racial Melting Pot?—was authored by Draftfcb Strategic Planning Director Luiz Salles. The piece opens with, “For over 200 years, Americans have proudly referred to our nation as a ‘melting pot’—the intimation being that America is a shining example of the prosperity that can result from divergent cultures coming together to form a homogeneous and (hopefully) more harmonious common culture.” The statement displays a certain sense of revisionist history. According to Wikipedia, while the melting metaphor has been around since the 1780s, it didn’t become popular in America until the 1908 play titled, “The Melting Pot.” Native Americans, Blacks and other non-White citizens have not “proudly” used the term for over 200 years. Indeed, many minorities have rejected the phrase, favoring metaphors like “mosaic” and “salad bowl” to identify the nation. Don’t know where the cross-cultural advocates at Draftfcb might stand on the matter. Regardless, it boggles the mind that a concept such as “melting pot” would be addressed by an agency from Madison Avenue, where non-Whites have been systematically rejected for over 70 years. And the outrageous factor is compounded when considering the agency, Draftfcb, remains among the most culturally clueless in the industry. It’s a wonder the piece didn’t cite Schoolhouse Rock as its primary reference source.

9784: Draftfcbullshit.

The Adweek-Draftfcb-U.S. Census Bureau publishing partnership is more extensive than a Black History Month list of factoids. The New America is labeled as sponsored content—which is actually code for advertising. Or self-promotional pap.

There are already a dozen entries producing a growing pile of editorial excrement that can only be described as airheaded, arrogant and asinine.

Additional inane press releases include The Multiracial Native American and The End of the Segregated City? However, the original perspectives are particularly annoying.

Has Webster’s Redefined Urban? is the title of an essay allegedly authored by Draftfcb Global Chief Talent Officer Cindy Augustine. Criticizing Urban Outfitters for excluding Blacks from its catalogs, Augustine remarked, “We Black Americans do not see this as a marketing oversight. Marketers are savvy and they certainly know their stats so it’s either a deliberate signal that we and our trillions of dollars are not welcome (don’t want the ‘urban’ brand to become ‘Black’) or they hope that the word ‘urban’ is enough of a signal for us to come shop, but hope we’re blind to our own invisibility—the best of both worlds and a sweet ROI.” Wow, that’s a mouthful for someone who admitted having zero advertising agency experience when she took the job in 2011. Now she’s a spokeswoman for Black America. The budding thought leader should know that multicultural marketing professionals are cautious to position themselves as experts by essentially declaring, “I am; therefore, I know.”

Draftfcb EVP Group Management Director Jeff Tarakajian proclaimed, “I officially predict the fall of multicultural advertising and the rise of advertising that’s multicultural.” Can’t help but recognize the inherent ignorance and latent racism in the bold vision. The truth is, as the country becomes increasingly diverse, the exclusively White advertising historically produced by agencies like Draftfcb is what has really fallen. In short, traditional “general-market” messages are irrelevant and obsolete. So how do the White guys respond? By stealing the work usually handled by minority shops, whispering to the clients that segregated efforts are no longer necessary. What makes Tarakajian’s statement most outrageous is the fact that Draftfcb produces perhaps the greatest amount of offensive, culturally clueless campaigns in the industry. These morons have not earned the right to execute “advertising that’s multicultural”—they are woefully unqualified for the task.

If anything, it’s safe to predict the fall of Draftfcb, especially considering the recent and impending account losses. The agency remains proof positive that the mergers of past decades—coupled with the hubris of out-of-touch, outdated and financially obsessed leaders—have created a lumbering dinosaur representing everything that’s wrong on Madison Avenue today. The Agency of the Future is history, and it does not deserve to be part of The New America.

9773: BHM 2012—Adweek, Draftfcb & U.S. Census.

Lincoln Steffens pointed out that Adweek, Draftfcb and the U.S. Census Bureau teamed up to celebrate Black History Month with a story titled, “All About African Americans Today.” Draftfcb and the U.S. Census Bureau, incidentally, share an advertising agency-client relationship—and Adweek is apparently starving for original content—which may explain the publication of what essentially feels like a lazy press release. The celebratory factoids include 18 percent of Blacks holding a bachelor’s degree and a 27.4 percent poverty rate. Oh Happy Day. No mention of the number of Blacks working on Madison Avenue.

All About African Americans Today

Census Bureau releases facts and figures for Black History Month

In celebration of Black History Month, the U.S. Census Bureau has released a series of facts and stats about the African American population aggregated from recent studies.

42 million – The number of people who identified as Black, either alone or in combination with one or more other races, in the 2010 Census. They made up 13.6 percent of the total U.S. population. The Black population grew by 15.4 percent from 2000 to 2010.

65.7 million – The projected Black population of the United States (including those of more than one race) for July 1, 2050. On that date, according to the projection, Blacks would constitute 15 percent of the nation’s total population.

3.3 million – The Black population in New York state, which led all states in 2010. The other nine states in the top 10 were Florida, Texas, Georgia, California, North Carolina, Illinois, Maryland, Virginia and Ohio.

38 percent – Percent of Mississippi’s total population that was Black in 2010. Mississippi led the nation in this category followed by Louisiana (33 percent), Georgia (32 percent), Maryland (31 percent), South Carolina (29 percent) and Alabama (27 percent).

2.2 million – People who identified as Black in New York City, the city with the largest African American population. It was followed by Chicago; Philadelphia; Detroit; Houston; Memphis, Tenn.; Baltimore; Los Angeles; Washington; and Dallas.

84.3 percent – Percent of the total population in Detroit, who identified as Black, which is the highest percentage nationally.

2.4 million – Number of Black military veterans in the United States in 2010.

82 percent – Among Blacks 25 and older, the percentage with a high school diploma or higher in 2010.

18 percent – Percentage of Blacks 25 and older who had a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2010.

1.5 million – Among Blacks 25 and older, the number who had an advanced degree in 2010.

2.9 million – Number of Blacks enrolled in college in 2010, a 1.7 million increase since 1990.

11.1 million – The number of Blacks who voted in the 2010 congressional election, an increase from 11 percent of the total electorate in 2006 to 12 percent in 2010.

55 percent – Turnout rate in the 2008 presidential election for the 18- to 24-year-old citizen Black population, an 8 percentage point increase from 2004. Blacks had the highest turnout rate in this age group.

65 percent – Turnout rate among Black citizens regardless of age in the 2008 presidential election, up about 5 percentage points from 2004. Looking at voter turnout by race and Hispanic origin, non-Hispanic whites and Blacks had the highest turnout levels.

$32,068 – The annual median income of Black households in 2010, a decline of 3.2 percent from 2009.

27.4 percent – Poverty rate in 2010 for Blacks.

62.5 percent – Among households with a Black householder, the percentage that contained a family. There were 9.4 million Black family households.

1.3 million – Number of Black grandparents who lived with their own grandchildren younger than 18. Of this number, 47.6 percent were also responsible for their care.

44.2 percent – Nationally, the percentage of households with a householder who was Black who lived in owner-occupied homes.

9708: More Walgreens News And Comedy.

As MultiCultClassics predicted, the Walgreens saga is producing comedy already. While Adweek reported the creative portion of the account is up for grabs, Advertising Age claims the drugstore chain is simply fishing for more ideas. According to Ad Age, “It’s possible that the marketer might retain [incumbent agency] Downtown Partners and be looking for additional creative help. The review does not include multicultural or media services, or digital-media planning or buying.” Of course the multicultural players aren’t included in the review. It’s also a safe bet that the minorities will not be allowed to participate in the competition. And once a White agency has been selected, look for the owning network to pitch its resident colored agencies to handle the multicultural duties—probably without a formal review. BTW, the Walgreens website boasts a deep commitment to diversity.

9582: Global Chief Talent Officer’s 2nd Interview.

Adweek posted a painfully inane video starring new Draftfcb Global Chief Talent Officer Cynthia Augustine answering six questions. Alas, the inquiry didn’t include, “How does someone who has never worked at an advertising agency assume the responsibility for recruiting ad talent globally?” Then again, it’s not like any of the leaders at Draftfcb have legitimate industry experience either, so maybe Augustine fits right in. The GCTO is already drinking the company Kool-Aid, referencing the 6.5 seconds that matter by declaring she knows where an interview is heading within that timeframe. Of course, most interviewees don’t need that long to realize they made a grave mistake in even applying for a position at Draftfcb.

9561: Contextual Disconnect.

Adweek reported on AT&T’s failed attempt to acquire wireless carrier T-Mobile—alongside a banner ad hyping mobile marketing solutions from AT&T.

9557: Draftfcb Talent Officer Talks Shop.

Adweek interviewed Draftfcb’s new global chief talent officer. Honestly, has anyone ever known a chief talent officer who actually influenced hiring decisions? Plus, the Draftfcb executive admits to having zero experience in advertising agencies. This is perfect, as key leaders at the enterprise appear to be clueless about the industry too. Finally, the new global chief talent officer managed to discuss diversity without using the term at all.

First Mover: Cynthia Augustine
Draftfcb’s new global chief talent officer on attracting—and retaining—top creatives

Coming from Scholastic do you have much in the way of agency experience?
I don’t. Before Scholastic I was at Time Warner. Before that I was at The New York Times, where I also ran a broadcast division besides the HR. I have a lot of experience on the other side. I went to the upfronts and worked with the advertising and marketing people there. You know, throughout my career I have worked in industries that have advertising. Scholastic would be one of the exceptions, but I think the other vein that has run through that is working with a lot of creative people.

Has there been much of a learning curve since you’ve been there?
I would say a little, but a lot of it feels very familiar.

What are you looking for in talent when it comes to Draftfcb?
We are looking for people who can create an idea that builds a business and builds a brand. We look for someone who understands all the different communication channels and can use them in an integrated way. I think we really are about contemporary culture, so somebody who likes that and can understand it and reflect that back to programs that build brands, build businesses, but connect to what matters. People need to be collaborative, I think, in all creative fields, in all divisions.

How do you compete with Google or Facebook who are tapping into that creative culture in a new way?
I would agree 100 percent we are now beginning to draw from the same talent pool of the Googles and Facebooks. Just as competitive with them are the smaller shops and sometimes even more competitive, because you get a better experience or a different kind of experience because they are still small. I think the difference is when you come to a place like ours you are building a whole platform and building a brand. I believe that’s what really happens with a Google and Facebook.

How do you keep them there?
That’s a good question. No matter where you are, whether you are in the entertainment industry, keeping creative people fresh and engaged is important everywhere. I think here, what is engaging about the environment is that it is collaborative. People at a relatively young age can come in and make a difference here by creating a great idea and being able to push it through the organization. We have a thing we call a creative or strategic rumble: we bring people together, they can work on different brands, across industries. But it’s everybody’s struggle to make sure they keep the employees engaged.

Do you have a favorite ad or campaign?
Maybe because I’m a mom who traveled a lot when my kids were young, the Oreo Skype commercial, where the father and the son are dipping their Oreo cookies together and one is in the morning and the other is in the night. That struck home for me because I have had those moments when I’m on the phone with my kids with many, many hours difference and it would have been nice to see their faces.

What else is important, what are you thinking about?
It is enormously important to ensure that we have people with various viewpoints and experiences around the table. Contemporary culture is being made up of a lot of different demographic groups, a lot of different ages, a lot of different people in our country, a lot of different tastes, and we want to make sure we know what that is.

9546: Delayed WTF 16—Adweek Reloads.

MultiCultClassics is often occupied with real work. As a result, a handful of events occur without the expected blog commentary. This limited series—Delayed WTF—seeks to make belated amends for the absence of malice.

Adweek named Lisa Granatstein as its Managing Editor, apparently replacing Michael Wolff—who is still identified as the publication’s leader at the website. Granatstein toiled at Mediaweek for a decade before a stint at Mochila. Did Mediaweek historically draw more readers than Adweek? Not sure why the wonks in charge keep hiring people with media experience to run an enterprise allegedly devoted to the ad industry. Adweek Executive Editor Jim Cooper gushed, “[Granatstein’s] wealth of experience in the media, and across platforms, will be a significant component to our commitment to top-level, comprehensive industry analysis.” Note the lack of references to advertising in Cooper’s hype. Hopefully, Granatstein will at least stop publishing perspectives on carpet campaigns.