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.
