Marketers Elevating Black Communities and Assisting the Causes Most Important to Them
February is Black History Month, a time for celebrating, with a special attentiveness, the achievements of Black Americans and for elevating the causes that are most important to their communities. Of course, this isn't work that can be confined to a single month, and, in recognition of that fact, the 2022 Multicultural Excellence Awards honored marketing to and on behalf of the Black community that took place across the year.
Below are summaries of some of the award-winning campaigns, with the full case studies accessible through the embedded links.
P&G Elevates Emerging Black Directors
Procter & Gamble's 8:46 Films is a platform created to showcase up-and-coming Black filmmakers and to honor the legacy of George Floyd by reclaiming the last eight minutes and 46 seconds of his life with stories of joy and love told by Black storytellers and filmmakers.
The initiative's goal was to use the power of entertainment to change the narrative of how Black Americans are seen. Black stories are too often portrayed as one of two extremes — either struggle or triumph. These stories are sometimes accurate but do not represent the full Black experience, which 8:46 Films strove to portray.
The Black Elevation Map
Black & Abroad created a digital "Black Elevation Map" to pinpoint where Black-owned businesses and cultural institutions are most likely to be present, absent, and in what abundance. The organization thus provided ways for travelers to interact directly with America's vast network of Black-owned businesses and cultural organizations.
Vaseline's See My Skin Campaign
When people of color search online for culturally relevant references related to a skin condition, they do not see many. Indeed, only 6 percent of image-based search results show skin conditions on people of color. This striking statistic inspired Vaseline's creation of a visual database of skin conditions on melanin-rich skin.
Vaseline approached the lack of diversity in dermatological imagery not just as a user experience problem, but as an equity issue. The brand set out to raise awareness of the racially biased systems that affect algorithmic search, provide proper representation and access to equal care, and, most of all, help Black and Hispanic people be seen.
The BET Awards Takes Over the Iconic Hollywood Sign
BET promoted its 2022 BET Awards program with a spectacle of projected lights and imagery that capitalized on Los Angeles' iconic Hollywood sign. The luminous superimposition of BET's imagery on the American entertainment industry's most visible landmark foregrounded the importance of African American contributions to the nation's film, television, and music.
AARP Highlights Black Leaders During Black History Month
AARP took a unique and ownable approach to Black History Month by developing a national brand campaign that highlighted Black leaders making history now. Instead of sourcing stories from local leaders outside of the organization, AARP leveraged a collective of Black local leaders who were honored as AARP Purpose Prize Winners, a national award that celebrates people 50 and older who are using their life experience to make a difference.
Each leader selected was associated with an organization doing work that mirrored AARP's strategic brand pillars of health, wealth, and self, because AARP helps its members and prospective members protect their health, money, and community so their joy lives as long as they do.
The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the ANA or imply endorsement from the ANA.
Morgan Strawn is a senior manager of editorial and content development at ANA.