White Space - Lack of diversity in the advertising industry

Muse Communications says: "As the only diverse-segment agency featured in AMCs "THE PITCH," the men and women of Muse saw an opportunity to amplify the ongoing conversation about the need for more diversity in the advertising industry.

And here's what we're talking about -- the excuses, the empty intentions and the quiet arrogance that allows for old white men to sit around a table with young white men and feel that everything is as it should be.

Yes, we have diverse-segment agencies, which come with diverse-segment budgets and diverse-segment control over creative. And despite all the challenges we face, our work continues to shine.

But understand this: Saying you want to do more about diversity is not the same as getting something done.

And we say to those who have the power to change the face of this industry -- the time to do what's right is always right now."

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Tags: Advertising, Diversity, Industry

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Comment by Kat on May 30, 2012 at 1:18pm: Citizen Schools, an education non-profit organization, is working with major advertising agencies to address the lack of diversity in their offices. Citizen Schools recruits teams from the major agencies (McCann, The Ad Council, Ogilvy, IPG, Saatchi, etc) to teach semester-long advertising apprenticeships to Citizen Schools students in the Bronx, Harlem, and Brooklyn. Students work with the advertisers to brainstorm, storyboard, film, edit, and present their ads at the agencies to senior leadership. Some of their PSAs have also been featured on the Ad Council's site. Here are a few of our favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IChF_vAQZ6Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vOYE11ALM0&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r37VusiAA5E

With the skills and exposure to the profession gained during the apprenticeships, students from the communities CS serves are prepared to seek out careers in advertising. Employees at the agencies step out of their offices and into underrepresented communities, to take responsibility for the lack of diversity in their workforces directly.