WHERE ARE ALL THE BLACK PEOPLE?

WORK FOR THE 2020 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

Timeline: Two Weeks

The New York based advertising conference has seen a few name changes, but it’s the most recent revision that made the biggest impact.  Starting its journey asking “Where?”, the conference answered its own question in a name change to “Here Are All The Black People" in 2014. However, organizers quickly realized that the work wasn’t over, and made the lofty decision to regress.

BACKGROUND 

THEIR ASK OF US

Provide a marketing strategy and social campaign that explains the name change, and gets registration and sponsorships.

As students heading into the industry, we saw opportunity to give them more. We wanted to challenge The One Club to make as big of an impact as they made with the first iteration of the conference.

OUR ASK OF THEM

Embrace the reason for the change, don’t just explain it.

TALK OF DIVERSIFYING HASN'T PRODUCED MUCH CHANGE.

IN 1992

IN 2020

5.2%

of advertising professionals identified as African American or Black.

7%

of advertising professionals identified as African American or Black.

IN 28 YEARS, THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY HAS ONLY SEEN A 1.8% INCREASE.

THE EFFORTS OF THE ONE CLUB AND WAATBP 

A simple background.

The One Club asked:

WHERE ARE ALL THE BLACK PEOPLE?

2010

...found them, and said:

HERE ARE ALL THE BLACK PEOPLE.

2014

Yet six years later the W is back.

WHERE ARE ALL THE BLACK PEOPLE?

2020

So we asked why.

Why is there still a need to ask the question?

THE ANSWER WAS CLEAR

That even though Black talent has been available, they haven’t been hired. And if they were of the minority who were, they haven’t been nurtured, promoted, or mentored.

WHICH LEAD TO OUR DRIVING INSIGHT:

The industry has remained

comfortably white and conveniently Black.

REEVALUATING THE ASK

Bringing the W back doesn’t mean starting over.

It means a fresh approach to the same problem –

one that doesn’t leave room for excuses or ignorance.

So we went well beyond the ask to give the industry another chance.

THE STRATEGY

Demand agencies confess their culpability and pressure them to embrace and elevate BIPOC. Show us what you’re made of.

Manifesto video created for the client pitch that was used during the conference itself.

MESSAGING

Who are we talking to and what are we asking of them?

COMPANY

C-SUITES

AGENCY

CLIENTS

BIPOC AGENCY PROFESSIONALS

What are you actually made of? Ensure that your support extends past entry.

Use your dollars to drive change. Ask your agencies what they’re made of, and demand diverse teams. Your money has power; if it matters to you, it’ll matter to them.

Show off what you’re made of. Ask the tough questions, and challenge the quick answers. You know what you need. Demand it.

THE CONCEPT

We're asking all the questions,

but how healthy are the answers?

SHOW US THE NUTRITION FACTS.

We needed a simple, easily digestible way to spread important information. Inspired by what we continued to refer to as “industry health” we created Industry Nutrition Facts, an initiative with the sole purpose of gathering and reporting on extensive DEI numbers, such as:

Total number of BIPOC and female-identifying employees

Office breakdowns

Department breakdowns (are BIPOC employees on creative teams?)

Leadership positions held by BIPOC and female-identifying employees

Retention and Advancement

We encourage agencies to own where they’ve been and show a commitment to where they intend to go.

HONORING THE ASK

We created a pack of assets that were used for the 2020 virtual conference. Click below to see the work.

IT'S NOT JUST A CONFERENCE. IT'S A PUSH FOR EQUITY, INCLUSION, ADVANCEMENT, AND ENCOURAGEMENT. THE ONE CLUB CAN BE AT THE FOREFRONT, IF ONLY THEY'RE BRAVE ENOUGH TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.

IN COLLABORATION WITH

CREATIVE BRAND MANAGEMENT '21

EXPERIENCE DESIGN '21

STRATEGY '21

COPYWRITING '21

ART DIRECTION '21