I am occasionally asked about the state of diversity in the
advertising industry. I get asked this question because I am diverse, and happen
to work in the advertising industry.
Instead of giving the standard answer detailing whether I feel there is
enough diversity in our industry, I usually try to frame the picture for my
interviewer.
In Hollywood, you cannot tell a story without “framing.” In
industry terms, framing is the art of setting the outer boundaries within which
the story exists. Sometimes it is
referred to as setting the stage.
So allow me to frame.
Advertising is an old industry. As global as it may seem, advertising is
an old New York industry. It is also an
industry that was traditionally a second choice vocation. In the 50’s and 60’s if you were not going to
be a doctor or lawyer, and you were not going to work in finance, your next
most prestigious choice was to go into the advertising industry. What does that mean? Well for one, it means
we were an industry of second fiddles, with more chips on their shoulders than
a cold-miner. The original advertising
Mad Men, already felt so uncomfortable in their own skin, that the thought of
letting in a darker hue was just too much to even imagine.
Cut to modern day: We are in a new generation, but that same
second tier status exists. However, the
diverse candidate definitely now has first tier choices. Not only that, they come from families who
have very specific ideas about what success looks like. They actually have
icons they can look at. Sadly ZERO,
ZILTCH, NONE of them come from the advertising industry. How do I know this? Because up until February
of 2011, I was one of those icons, yet no one has ever even heard of me.
So how does the industry combat this. Well, for the most part, they are acting like
the incredibly fit old guy at the gym.
Everybody knows this guy. By the
look of his skin, he is clearly in his late forties or early fifties, yet he
dyes his hair and eyebrows, wears skinny jeans and has way too many muscles for
someone his age. When we see this guy,
we almost feel sorry that he is holding on so tight.
Our industry is holding on too tight. We are being too
defensive. We see only what we want to
see when we look in the mirror. The
truth is very simple. The diversity
thing is complicated. There are many wrinkles to getting the right people in
the right jobs. Our approach is a little outdated. And we spend way too much
time patting ourselves on the back.
So here’s what. The next time someone asks me about how I
feel about diversity in the advertising industry, I’m just gonna lift up my
shirt and show them my six-pack. Because
that’s as good an answer as any of us can give.
And…fade to black.
