(Originally posted on Illinois Arts Alliance “One State” Conference Blog, 5-12-09) I’m presenting at a conference at the University of Puerto Rico on “Representations of Race and Culture in Advertising and Marketing” next week. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the conference will look at the influence of cultural identity on service delivery, and is…
DetailsSometimes I think the best way to avoid perpetuating racial or cultural stereotypes in advertising is to purposely mix it up, which is why I liked the new “Let a Stranger Take You Home” ad for Heineken by Wieden + Kennedy, Portland. The spot opens with an Asian looking young man singing along to a…
DetailsI met an interesting woman the other day, founder and owner of Workforce Language Services, who has a PhD in Linguistics and Anthropology. We were talking about the ongoing challenge as practitioners to prove the business case for diversity, and she told me about a language training project she had done for a client in…
DetailsAfter much whining during our trip to see family in Brazil last week, my eight year old son announced that he was behaving badly because “everyone here is being mean to me.” Knowing that nothing could be further from the truth, I immediately went from being (annoyed) mother to ethnographer: This was culture shock…a gut…
DetailsDiversity, Inc., yesterday reported that Burger King “does it right” by pulling its Texican WHOPPER ad following outcry from the Mexican Ambassador in Spain at the ad’s offense. More than a “misstep” as Diversity, Inc. called it, Burger King seems to base much of its advertising on objectifying or setting up power imbalances between cultures. …
DetailsAnd I thought the Burger King Burger Shots ad was offensive in its objectification of women! The new Hardees Western Bacon Thickburger campaign, created for the US market by Mendelsohn Zien Advertising, LLC, goes over the top with its raunchy scene of model/actress/author Padma Lakshmi seductively eating said product. The fact that she is Indian/Hindu seems like…
DetailsMy son Dillon and I find ourselves unexpectedly in Brazil. Here is our list, created jointly, of 10 things to adapt more easily to another country: Ask questions. Dillon asks in English, he gets responses in Portuguese-not sure how it works, but accompanied by pointing and context, it does seem to work! Meet a guy…
DetailsWith the mix of internationally recognized celebrities (you’ll recognize at least one), the seamless change out of language (men-hombes-uomini vs. women-mujeres-donne) and liberal use of physical action over dialogue, 72andSunny creates a truly multicultural ad campaign that resonates across a wide range of ethnic groups and is readily adaptable to present in multiple global markets,…
DetailsOn the Daily Show earlier this week, Senior Black Correspondent (his formal title on the show) Larry Wilmore pointed out Jon Stewart’s implicit assumptions: “So what you’re saying is in these times the new face of criminality is now white.” “I’m glad you’re finally admitting that you thought it was black,” is Wilmore’s response. The…
DetailsVisit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy And I felt bad when I told the street vendor in Mexico I couldn’t buy a sweater from him because I didn’t love him (no ‘te’ quiero vs no ‘lo’ quiero). Take a look at this cross-cultural communication gaff on behalf of the…
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