Creative organization D&AD will continue to accept Russian entries to its 2022 awards scheme but says it will donate fees from the country to the Art Director’s Club of Ukraine, following the invasion of the country by its neighbor. The organization has told Adweek that will not exclude Russian creatives from its annual awards scheme,…
After 15 years as a marketing executive, Michael Tennant found himself at a crossroads. Even with a successful career working with brands like Coca-Cola, MTV and Procter & Gamble, Tennant experienced hitting an emotional rock bottom. He would end up finding his calling with the founding of Curiosity Lab, a product, content and consulting agency…
Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was one of the first women to perform using the ’61 Les Paul SG Custom electric guitar. Gibson is marking the 61st anniversary of the iconic instrument with a campaign celebrating Tharpe’s often overlooked contribution to music. A limited-edition lifestyle and…
Cindy Hernandez understands firsthand how much of an impact racism can have on those who are most vulnerable. As Fred & Farid’s art director, she also knows that she has the power to make a difference. “Growing up in the Afro-Latino community, I’d hear a lot of hurtful stereotypes and self-hatred,” she tells Adweek, “so…
For content manager and social media lead Nikeya Alfred, healthcare in the Black community isn’t just a political issue–it’s also a personal one. When her grandmother died from cardiovascular disease in May 2021, Alfred decided to use her skills as a content and branding manager to help spearhead a health initiative, The K Health HBCU,…
As the Chief Marketing Officer at Banfield Pet Hospital, Lisa Stockmon is aware of the potentially catastrophic labor shortage in the veterinary industry, as well as the profession’s overall lack of diversity. “A Banfield report found nearly 75 million pets may not have access to veterinary care by 2030 with an important factor being a…
Authentic representation is of the utmost importance to Carlyle Garrick. As witnessed by his work on Apple’s stylish “Fly Market” spot for the iPhone X’s Pay function, Media Art Lab’s associate creative director makes it clear that Blackness is not only global, but that it can shape the culture as well. “This was the first…
Operating a scaling business means being open to evolution. For some, that entails a willingness to reimagine company interactions in order to create a better future for customers, employees and company alike. In its first-ever global brand campaign, CRM platform HubSpot assures us that even a pirate ship needs a little bit of organization and…
This quick-witted grade-schooler stashes a dictionary under her pillow, uses words like “preposterous” and “melodramatic” and quotes German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. To many parents, that might signal a free ride to a fancy school. But to the folks in a new satirical PSA, it’s a source of anxiety. “Sweetie, we love you–this isn’t easy to…
Before departing from Boston-based agency Arnold Worldwide, associate producer Jasmine Reyes got to add one final, impressive bit of work to her already enviable portfolio: a pro bono PSA for the Boston Alliance of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Youth (BAGLY). The nearly two-minute-long video is a stylish, glammed-out call-to-action starring RuPaul’s Drag Race alum…
When Nene Parsotam was commissioned by Goldman Sachs to art-direct the Innovators In STEAM (Sciences, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) photo series for Black History Month, she found the perfect opportunity to showcase emerging Black talent in the tech field. “The innovators were from wearable tech, architecture, tech in music and AI,” the London-based art…
Many video game commercials follow the same formula. A family sits at home in their living room playing a video game with minimal dialogue. It serves the purpose of showcasing gameplay but can be stale. For its new release of Pok?mon Legends: Arceus on the Nintendo Switch, the EMEA marketing team in the London office…
Atlanta agency Six Degrees is gaining traction with high-profile celebrity campaigns. The duo that founded the agency in 2018–Brian “Bwrightous” Wright and Desmond Attmore–have worked with brands like Foot Locker, SoundCloud and Amazon Music. They’ve done it, they say, without ever having to pitch business in the traditional way. The two met at Morehouse College…
For art director and artist Deja Pocahontas Mays, using her passion and creativity to celebrate Black culture has a been a driving force in her success. Mays and her team at Momentum Worldwide partnered with the Walt Disney Company’s Disney on The Yard, a diversity, equity and inclusion program that empowers Black talent from historically…
International audio production company DaHouse has engineered soundscapes for tentpole brands like Ford, Hellmann’s and Volkswagen. You’ve likely heard the team’s work: Last year, the studio provided the delicate soundtrack for Doritos Mexico’s viral Dia de Muertos ad, which landed on Adweek’s list of the 25 Best Ads of 2021. Now, DaHouse is expanding into…
Michael Tonge is a firm believer in betting on oneself. When he decided to step away from an agency role, he co-founded The Culture LP–a collective of visual artists, musicians and creatives on a mission to improve the quality of life of Black and people of color globally through the power of the arts. Tonge…
Only a year out of One School’s ad program, San Francisco-based writer Jamal Parker has already written a prominent ad “Family Dinner on NBA Lane,” his proudest work. Created during his tenure at Translation LLC and in partnership with art director Asia Irvin, the ad celebrated the five NBA games being played on Christmas day…
In downtown Birmingham, AL., a black-and-white mural commemorates the lost lives of Sandra Bland, Jordan Edwards and Philando Castile. With various silhouettes representing elements of each victim’s personal life woven throughout, the breathtaking work doesn’t just eulogize their deaths. It tells their full stories, which were once filled with family and pride before they became…
Though most of the attention for smart home gym startup Tonal centers around its fitness equipment and star-studded campaigns, the intense, galvanizing script is the secret sauce that helps the brand connect with its consumers. Tonal’s script writer, Tonja Ren?e Stidhum, is part of the team that feeds the company’s coaches inspirational words for workouts….
Some love stories look like poetry in motion–swoon-worthy stories that are passed down for generations as examples of true devotion. And then there are the rest, like hasty hookups planned over well-worn dating apps, enemies turned partners or friendships that awkwardly morph into something intimate. In any case, chocolates and bouquets rarely capture all the…
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