For last year’s Super Bowl, marketers were seemingly eager to take stock of the reality we were experiencing in the moment. A reminder, in case you need one: we were a year into the pandemic, hovering somewhere between an enduring lockdown and the faintest glimmer of hope that we would soon get to enjoy the…
The Super Bowl pregame slot is a moment of intense anticipation for viewers, fans and marketers, so it’s a fitting theme for McDonald’s to explore in its 30-second ad appearing before kickoff. The ad, “Can I Get Uhhhhhhh….” is inspired by what Jennifer Healan, vp of U.S. marketing, brand content and engagement at McDonald’s, described…
When Quebec’s Phi Centre needed help with its accelerator program for aspiring Black filmmakers, it turned to Six Cinquieme, an award-winning Montreal-based creative agency ran by CEO Ash Phillips and president Miro LaFlaga. The duo not only named the program, they helped Phi communicate it to a previously untapped audience. “I am most proud of…
Brooklyn native and Macy’s strategist Kadeem Fletcher doesn’t just harness his understanding of people and culture to connect brands to influencer talents. He also understands firsthand how these moments of collaboration can potentially connect a brand to a wider audience in an intimate, organic way. Fletcher brings this knowledge to The Blooming Union, a lifestyle…
For many people, having the pleasure of creating the award-winning Lego Indiana Jones interactive site for Cartoon Network and creative projects for brands including Colgate-Palmolive, Frito-Lay, Whole Foods, Marvel and NBC would stand as the greatest hallmarks of their career. For Newark, N.J.’s own Steve Jones, our latest featured creative in our Profiles in Black…
2023 will mark a decade since I departed Winston-Salem State University in service to something bigger than myself. In retrospect, there are certain core principles and experiences that prepared me for the advertising and marketing field specifically. In sharing just a few, the hope is that recruiters, agencies and portfolio schools further create space and…
It’s hard to synthesize the look of a Mike Diva production into a neat summation. It could look like anything from a sleek, robotic dystopia for Halo Top, to a futuristic Lil Nas X music video, to a satirical, neon-piped Japanese-style Trump parody. While the subjects may change, the elements that link these works to…
D.C.-based brand publishing marketing director Ebony LaDelle has made it her mission to bring important new works to the world, including her own book, Love Radio. “I’m always energized by a new voice that is trying to publish work that is disruptive, that sort of defies stereotypes and allows for more compassion,” LaDelle explained to…
Air travel has become increasingly fraught since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, with a dramatic rise in aggressive passengers and numerous flight delays and cancellations caused by crew shortages. Alaska Airlines seeks to reassure passengers that it cares about them with its latest ad campaign, “The Care Coalition.” Developed through a collaboration with the…
As the art director for Wieden+Kennedy, Macaihah Broussard is already making waves during his five-years-and-counting in the advertising world. When Broussard worked on the promotion for the 2021 AdColor Conference, his goal was clear: to create a bold, interactive campaign that would inspire creatives to take action. “Especially after this past year of big talk…
As director of digital marketing for Capitol Records, New York and Los Angeles-based digital storyteller Jaide Lewis is well-versed in the importance of artists making connections with fans. Stressing the benefits of personality-based marketing in music, she encourages them to show the world what makes them unique–and to do so with authenticity at top-of-mind. “The…
“I’m based in L.A. but I’m a New Yorker, always.” It’s these kind of details that speak to Joivonnah “Joi” Childs’ authenticity as well as the personal stamp that she leaves on all of her high-profile work as Netflix Film’s editorial and publishing manager. Throughout her career, Childs–today’s featured creative for our Profiles in Black…
Fun trivia fact: did you know that a patent for the automated “vacuum” coffee maker was filed by Chicagoan Inez H. Pierce in 1930? Now, it’s hard to imagine any major city without a coffee shop on every corner. It’s an example of how Chicago-bred ingenuity has its own worldwide impact. With the launch of…
Los Angeles-based filmmaker and writer Tevin Tavares brings the look, sound and feel of culture to every project he touches. From storyboarding, creative direction and scripting for short films, to shaping creative strategy and overseeing visual direction for campaigns, Tevin brought his full experience to the table. His proudest work, he shared with Adweek for…
Elaan Ventura Bourn’s creative happy places are the spaces between the highbrow and the lowbrow. A multidisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn, N.Y., Bourn boasts an impressive portfolio with a list of high-profile clients that include Nike and Apple Music. In 2018, Bourn was part of the creative team given the opportunity to design the interior…
Atlanta-based creative Jess Noel has left her imprint on marketing and advertising agency Majority since she started in her role of art director last May. Now, she’s moving up to associate director of creative strategy at the agency. “Truth be told, there’s not a job title in existence that fully conveys Jess’ multifaceted gifts, and…
While we continue to ponder the wonders of the mysterious metaverse, software company Salesforce and newly-minted brand partner and advisor Matthew McConaughey remind us that there is still a real-life Earth that is in dire need of our attention and care. Just in the time for the Winter Olympics opening ceremonies, the brand debuted “The…
Los Angeles-based Rajiv Lahens works on a number of projects, but feels especially attached to the work he did bringing the “It’s Been a Year” platform for Facebook to fruition in 2021. Accompanied by a short film that acknowledged the mutual hardship of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting social isolation, the initiative showed…
Advertising chiefs often say that they are in the business of commercial creativity and are putting their creative skills to use in helping brands grow. But is that always the case? As a whole, we often feel as though we are in the business of doing business, with the creativity that should be our beating…
Derek Walker, founder of Columbia, S.C. agency brown & browner, used to spend Black History Month highlighting little-known inventors, scientists and various infamous figures. In 2019, he decided to shift gears and use his social media platform to highlight fellow Black marketing creatives. What followed was a daily celebration of creative directors, podcasters, professors, founders…
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