AdLibbing Articles
Last week, I flew to Austin, Texas to attend South by Southwest, which brings together innovators in media, tech and entertainment. I was excited to see my Ad Council colleagues speak about the power of partnerships for our Seize the Awkward campaign at the SHE Media Future of Health Co-Lab and host a panel on the power of championing skills-based hiring to revolutionize and diversify the workforce. And with over 25 tracks of programming, SXSW 2023 was a fascinating place to get insights on everything from GPT-4 to ethical AI and accessibility in tech. Here are the top five topics that fascinated me at this year’s festival.
March 23, 2023
According to a recent Ad Council study, 95% of employees take time off due to mental health issues but cite another reason.
March 17, 2023
In 2021, Hue, a tech-enabled community platform and culture consultancy, released their inaugural report, Unsafe, Unheard, Unvalued: A State of Inequity, which included powerful statistics that showcased the inequities experienced by employees of color across several dimensions of the workplace. After the release of their second annual report in 2022, Hue founder Fahad Khawaja summed up the findings in a guest post for our blog: “How to Future-proof Our Companies and Communities as the Great Resignation Continues.”
March 7, 2023
Denise Lee is a volunteer spokesperson for the American Lung Association (ALA) and a lung cancer survivor. Denise recently worked with us as a spokesperson on our Lung Cancer Screening campaign. Ahead of World Cancer Day, we had the opportunity to chat with Denise about her experience as a survivor and advocate. She also shared her advice for those looking to spread awareness about issues they care about.
February 3, 2023
STARs are all around us, the more than 70 million workers in the U.S. who are “skilled through alternative routes” (STARs), rather than via college degrees, and they make up 50% of the U.S. workforce.
January 25, 2023
With over 3,000 exhibitors and 115,000 attendees, CES is the most influential tech conference in the world, showcasing breakthrough technologies that will shape our future. I’ve spent most of my career at the Ad Council, building relationships with social media companies to develop and scale impactful and innovative partnerships. Since June, I’m leading a new center of excellence focused on emerging media and technology. Given this new focus, I was eager to learn about future technology shaping how we consume media and drive impact. Here are my top highlights from CES 2023.
January 18, 2023
You did it! Your countless hours of what may often feel like unnoticed hard work have led to you being invited to share your insights with an audience as a subject matter expert. While opportunities to share your expertise are both exciting and reassuring, we know that understanding how to prepare for a panel discussion can be quite daunting.
January 10, 2023
In the past five years, the Ad Council’s digital team has conducted more than 250 studies for a wide range of campaigns with our partner Feedback Loop. These studies have complimented our other methods of research: focus groups, moderated UX research and communications checks, to name a few.
December 14, 2022
Who do Americans turn to as messengers of real, unbiased, trustworthy information around today’s most pressing social issues—particularly in a time when concerns around misinformation and fake news are at an all-time high?
December 12, 2022
Creative Theory Agency’s Adama Kamara served as the lead strategist for the latest round of creative from our Emergency Preparedness campaign, which is designed to reach Black communities that are often disproportionately impacted by natural disasters.
December 9, 2022
According to a recent Ad Council study, 49% of Americans 16 to 65 years old say they have a mental health condition, and of that group, only 48% are getting help or treatment. As the importance of prioritizing mental health for all increases, so does the need for leaders in the industry to use the power of communications to provide communities with the tools they need.
November 18, 2022
During his nearly fifteen years in the advertising industry, TikTok’s Bradley Hunter has worked in a myriad of roles from partnerships to sales to project management, and he has done so in roles at publishers, ad networks, ad tech companies and platforms. While at Google, he led industry partnerships with leading organizations, focused on driving impact in brand safety, measurement, DEI and advertising for social impact. He says it was his passion for engaging in these critical industry topics that led him to his current role as TikTok’s global head of brand safety and industry relations.
November 18, 2022
Among the greatest needs nonprofits have today are the tools to tell their story. There are nearly two million 501C3 organizations in the U.S. alone—all yearning for increased attention around their important causes. Unfortunately, most nonprofits too often lack the resources and expertise to effectively illustrate their positive impact—as well as access to diverse storytellers with the lived experience to tell their stories authentically.
November 2, 2022
Young voters now make up a third of the electorate, and their voting power will only continue to grow as more Gen Zers come of voting age. But more important than eligibility is the question of turnout: Will this vocal generation head to the polls for the midterms this November?
October 27, 2022
Last week, the Ad Council launched its first cohort of our new Emerging Leaders Fellowship Program, which aims to provide recent BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) graduates with in-depth experiences, mentorship and targeted training across a range of business functions that will help them advance in their new careers.
October 25, 2022
As communicators, forming an authentic connection with your intended audience is a total touchdown. So, if we want so badly for audiences to feel seen and heard, why not give them a direct line into the storytelling process?
October 20, 2022
From October 17 to 20, Advertising Week New York returns with in-person panels and special events, and the Ad Council will be exploring topics like the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in fostering brand growth, the power of partnership in tackling the drug overdose crisis, and the impact of trusted voices in social good campaigns.
October 7, 2022
Raphael and Dawn Rigaud are co-founders of Rigaud Global Company (RGC), an innovative and comprehensive marketing communications firm specializing in government, social good and public health work. Raphael currently serves as CEO and Dawn as the president of RGC—and they are building a powerful team of graphic designers and content strategists.
September 22, 2022
For the first time since the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines, people in the United States are now able to get an updated booster shot specially formulated to strengthen immunity against the original coronavirus strain and also protect against the newer Omicron variants that account for most of the current cases. As new variants of the virus emerge, updated boosters are intended to provide optimal protection against COVID-19 and address waning vaccine effectiveness over time.
September 20, 2022
The 2020s thus far have been a tough decade for optimism. However, according to a new report on Canvas8, we’re witnessing the emergence of an optimistic new world, with growing numbers of “community architects” conceiving alternative models of collaborating. This vigor for redefining how we work is centered around shared values like care, transparency, and inclusion—principles prioritized by a growing percentage of the workforce.
September 8, 2022
At a moment in American culture when seemingly every issue is polarized, it’s more important than ever to share stories that will move people to take action. So how do we do that, and how do we do it right?
August 22, 2022
Austin’s annual South by Southwest conference showcases innovation across entertainment, tech, education and culture. True to the collaborative spirit of the conference, the public helps select each year’s slate of presentations through the Panel Picker.
August 10, 2022
In recent months, there’s been a notable evolution of user personalization in tech. The extent to which a user’s experiences can be personalized is expanding more than ever–across more traditional means and into the metaverse–and this expansion creates new opportunities to inspire action and drive change.
July 19, 2022
As the senior manager of brand and industry relations at Comcast Advertising, Lee Singletary has been a valuable partner on our Seize the Awkward campaign, and he played a key role in bringing our first attribution study to life. We talked to him about what inspires him, why talking about mental health is more important than ever, and the best advice he’s ever received.
July 11, 2022
At a time when Americans’ confidence in information sources is at an all-time low, it’s more critical than ever for marketers to find trusted messengers to help communicate effectively with their audience. After all, if the audience doesn’t trust the source, they won’t receive the message in the way it was intended—and they definitely won’t be inspired to take action.
July 8, 2022
If you picture a creative brainstorm held in your office in 2019, odds are that session might look very different from a creative brainstorm held in your office, or virtually, or in a hybrid environment, in 2022. Even if your organization has done the DEI work to ensure equitable practices around who gets to be “in the room” and why, the concept of “the room” itself has changed along with the nature of how many of us collaborate each day. This adds in new nuances for those committed to equitable and unbiased execution in creative brainstorms.
June 30, 2022
Since 2016, our Love Has No Labels campaign has promoted diversity, equity and inclusion of all people across race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age and ability. To celebrate Pride Month at a time when many people are still working remotely, the campaign has released a set of virtual backgrounds that will help you brighten up your next Zoom meeting—whether you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community or an ally who wants to show your support.
June 15, 2022
On June 20-24, Cannes Lions is back, and the Ad Council is proud to be taking part in several panels on some of today’s most urgent topics, including how to support Ukraine, responding to the growing mental health crisis, and representing love in diverse communities. Read on for all the details on where you’ll find us. We hope to see you there!
June 13, 2022
As Americans, we are told that when we are feeling sick or unwell, we should go see a doctor. While that’s a seamless process for some, for others, getting care can be a traumatic experience that feels like a constant uphill battle—a battle where they are always on the defense. This is especially true for Black, Indigenous, or People of Color as well as other groups that have been historically marginalized, who may not feel listened to or believed by their health care practitioner.
June 2, 2022
Dr. Gennifer Herley and Stephanie Battaglino are the founder and president of TransNewYork, an impactful, culture-shifting organization that aims to empower and enhance the lives of transgender, gender nonconforming and nonbinary individuals. TransNewYork directly supports the LGBTQ+ community through counseling and workforce readiness services, and they also advance workplace inclusion through corporate training programs around the country.
May 26, 2022
A lot has happened in the last three years. The COVID-19 pandemic, the rise in racist violence and hate incidents, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, inflation, instability, the rapidly changing job market—all of these issues have exacerbated a growing mental health crisis and also made many employees and potential hires rank mental health support and benefits highly on the list of what they value in their workplace.
May 19, 2022
As the possibility of summer seems like it finally might become reality, our calendars are filling up with a mixture of virtual and in-person opportunities to come together, hear each other’s stories, and talk about ways to move our culture forward. We’re excited about all of these upcoming events and hope we’ll see you there.
May 16, 2022
Dr. Alfiee M. Breland-Noble (known professionally as Dr. Alfiee) is a pioneering psychologist, scientist, author and media contributor. As founder of The AAKOMA Project 501c3, she envisioned and built The AAKOMA Project into a thriving Woman of Color led, million-dollar mental health nonprofit.
April 28, 2022
Over the last couple of years, many of us have grown even more reliant on digital platforms for connection and community. How we communicate on an interpersonal level, however, doesn’t always correlate with how we want to hear from the companies and organizations we follow on social media, especially in times of crisis.
April 19, 2022
Fahad Khawaja is the founder of Hue, a community-centered 501c3 nonprofit organization built to amplify voices, increase visibility and pave career paths for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) talent—both by directly supporting that talent and by nurturing talent pipelines for employers. Hue’s recent report, Unsafe, Unheard, Unvalued: A State of Inequity, followed up on last year’s inaugural data to show that during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, BIPOC employees suffered job loss and financial hardship three times the rate of their white counterparts. We talked to Fahad about how and why he founded Hue, how its mission has evolved, and the best advice he has ever received.
April 11, 2022
On Wednesday, March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, and the Ad Council immediately closed its offices—and sprang to action.
April 4, 2022
It can be challenging as a college student to imagine a career beyond roles that reflect the exact title of your major. For many students also living their college experience amidst the pandemic, a national racial reckoning, global humanitarian crisis and increasing climate concerns, it can be even more perplexing to consider how you might discover a career that allows you to have a real positive impact on the world we’re inheriting.
March 30, 2022
Dr. Regina Miranda is a professor of psychology at Hunter College, where she directs the Laboratory for the Study of Youth Cognition and Suicide, and she is also a faculty member in the doctoral program in health psychology and clinical science at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. She cofounded and directs the Youth Suicide Research Consortium, which seeks to increase diversity in youth suicide research. As an advisor for the Ad Council’s Sound It Out campaign, Dr. Miranda is an expert voice that helps parents and caregivers have meaningful conversations about emotional wellbeing with their middle schoolers.
March 28, 2022
According to a recent study, two out of every five global consumers feel they aren’t fully represented by who they see represented in advertising. And this lack of inclusive representation cuts across many categories, including age, gender, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, body shape and ability. Not only do people not see themselves, but we know that the images we see can contribute to implicit bias, reinforcing assumptions and stereotypes.
March 9, 2022
The marketing and advertising world has become consumed with talk of NFTs and how businesses can tap into the brave new world of art, commerce and blockchain. But what are these mysterious items and how can they potentially be leveraged in the nonprofit sector?
March 2, 2022
As we approach the two-year mark since nationwide lockdowns began as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, our communities continue to face uncertainty and disruption in our daily lives. Despite this—and in fact because of this—we are seeing record numbers of Americans leaving their jobs in pursuit of better wages and working conditions.
February 24, 2022
On Super Bowl Sunday, the Ad Council’s She Can STEM campaign, in collaboration with NBC’s TODAY, Deloitte Digital and IF/THEN, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies, debuted a new PSA featuring TODAY anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker, Craig Melvin and Carson Daly. The PSA, “Back in Time,” encourages middle-school girls to pursue their interests in STEM—science, technology, engineering and math—by humorously envisioning the anchors as students in a 1970s classroom talking about what they hope to be when they grow up. In the daydream, modern STEM careers are possible, from 3D printing to analyzing data in the cloud, and girls rattle off their STEM dreams to the astonishment of the anchors. (Check out a behind-the-scenes segment on TODAY.com.)
February 18, 2022
On March 11 – 20, 2022 South by Southwest is back with a packed lineup of sessions held virtually and in-person in Austin, Texas. The Ad Council is proud to be participating in two panels at this year’s conference, where we’ll discuss trends and innovation in both DEI leadership and gaming. Read on for the SXSW 2022 Panels where you’ll find us and more on the sessions we’re looking forward to.
February 17, 2022
We all look to reach Americans with reliable information they need about important social issues. But in these highly political and polarized times, who the message comes from is just as important—if not more—than the content of the message itself. So who do Americans trust on social issues today, and how can we maximize the impact these trusted messengers have on social-good campaigns?
February 15, 2022
After holding sales roles at The Wall Street Journal, Ashley Willson moved to Amazon Ads, where she is now a senior account executive who recently secured a first-of-its-kind partnership with the Ad Council on our iconic Love Has No Labels campaign. Ask “Alexa, what is love?” and you’ll now hear a variety of answers that reflect the campaign’s efforts to champion love and diversity in all forms.
February 3, 2022
As we kick off the new year, I was curious how the latest technology trends may impact and enhance our lives this year. From increased use of Zoom to connect with our colleagues to riding a Peloton bike for virtual exercise classes, in many aspects, technology has allowed us to stay connected throughout the pandemic. To fuel my curiosity, I looked at Canvas8’s 2022 Expert Outlook series to better understand how 2022 technology trends can be used to help create communities. Below are key technology trends to be aware of:
January 24, 2022
Who do you picture when you imagine someone experiencing poverty today? A newly arrived immigrant? A Black single mother? A rural family? What about a white child? Most Americans living in poverty are white—18 million individuals.
January 20, 2022
After 20 years working to foster diversity, equity and inclusion in a variety of leadership roles, Elise James-DeCruise joined the Ad Council as our chief equity officer in early 2021. As we reflect on how her first 100 days laid the groundwork for her role, we thought we’d use the opportunity to share her learnings in an effort to help other organizations set themselves up for authentic, tangible success.
January 12, 2022
On January 5-8, 2022, CES 2022 returns and the Ad Council is proud to be participating in three virtual panels at this year’s event. We’ll explore everything from eliminating bias in advertising to the future of brand partnerships and influencer marketing. Read on for more about where to find us at CES.
January 3, 2022
As we near the end of a year like no other, our industry finds itself at yet another turning point in the ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. We have made so much progress, even though we continue to reckon with systemic inequities, a mental health crisis and so many other issues. And yet there is still so much to be done.
December 14, 2021
As Gen Xers born between 1967 and 1981 move through their forties and fifties in a time of uncertainty, conflict and progress, the ways we think about how to reach this demographic has changed dramatically. To explore the ways we can authentically connect with Gen Xers now, I was eager to dig into CANVAS8’s “Snapshot of Generation X” report. Here are my key takeaways.
December 9, 2021
Employers should double down on vaccination, boosters and other safety measures to strengthen protection and business resilience.
December 6, 2021
Four years ago, after stints at Wayfair and Criteo, Andrew Horwitz became an account manager at Pinterest, where he has worked with us on nearly 20 campaigns, including our work this year to address the rise in bias and hate crimes against the AAPI community. We sat down with him to get his advice on driving impact and how social media can be a force for good.
December 1, 2021
Rebecca Murga is a writer-producer-director and U.S. Army veteran who recently directed veteran-focused spots for two current Ad Council campaigns, End Family Fire and Caregiver Assistance, all while advocating for women and veterans through her work with AFI, Heart and Armor, Veterans in Media and Entertainment other programs. (Since August, she has also worked in extraction efforts in Afghanistan.)
November 16, 2021
With 2022 around the corner after a time of so much change and upheaval, what trends and behaviors will you need to know about? In a world of information overload, it can be hard to know where to begin, so here are my top six tips to stay on top of all the most important trends in the new year.
November 12, 2021
It’s not about convincing friends and neighbors to get vaccinated. It’s about equipping every person with solid information to make an informed decision about vaccination for themselves and their families.
October 18, 2021
On October 18, Advertising Week returns with a robust lineup of both in-person and virtual events. The Ad Council will proudly host four panels at this year’s session, where we’ll explore everything from information hygiene to the climate crisis, uniting for a cause, and the power of music. Read on for all the details about where you’ll find us.
October 7, 2021
The 2020 Census data was released last month with the banner headline that the future of the United States is diverse and multi-racial. Driving that future is the U.S. Hispanic population. We are already completely diverse and multi-racial, making up the country’s second largest and fastest-growing population segment. We account for 51% of population growth in America.
September 30, 2021
Federal vaccination requirements for businesses of 100 or more workers are intended to create safer workplace environments for employees and customers. They may also help make meaningful progress in achieving health equity — especially if employers take steps to engage disproportionately impacted communities in their policy planning. That’s because vaccines protect the very people who are most likely to experience the worst COVID-19 outcomes, significantly reducing the likelihood of hospitalization and death. Top officials at the American Civil Liberties Union have said that vaccine requirements are especially important for frontline workers and other people who are regularly exposed to the public in the course of their jobs.
September 22, 2021
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to create unprecedented challenges to American life, the conversation around mental health has finally broken into the mainstream. To discuss what's changed and how to authentically reach specific communities to provide them the tools they need, Lisa Sherman, president and CEO of the Ad Council, spoke with partners on several recent mental health efforts. They include Gabrielle Shirdan, senior VP and group creative director at McCann; Alvin Bowles, VP of business engineering and partner solutions at Facebook; and John MacPhee, president and CEO of the JED Foundation.
September 17, 2021
As part of our ongoing COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative, director and producer Deborah Riley Draper recently worked with the Ad Council and JOY Collective to create a short-form documentary that highlights stories from descendants of the U.S. Public Health Services Syphilis Study at Tuskegee. Her film provides the opportunity for audiences to hear directly from the families impacted by the study and explores what current generations can learn from the experience to build confidence in public health within Black communities, especially as it relates to the COVID-19 vaccines.
September 10, 2021
The NCAA has long barred student athletes from being paid “to advertise, recommend or promote directly the sale or use of a commercial product or service of any kind.” That is, until June 21, 2021, when the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the NCAA cannot stop student athletes from pursuing name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals or other financial opportunities. This decision marks a decisive turning point in the organization’s 115-year history.
August 25, 2021
As marketers, we are also storytellers. And the story we are telling is incomplete.
August 20, 2021
South by Southwest will take place March 11-20, and the panel picker, which gives the public a chance to vote for their favorite potential panels, is now live. Check out these prospective panels submitted by the Ad Council and take a moment to vote for your favorites—voting is open through August 26.
August 16, 2021
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the partnership between the Ad Council and Project Yellow Light, an organization that combats distracted driving through student-created advertising. Distracted driving is deadly; according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 26,004 people died in crashes involving a distracted driver between 2012-2019. Our latest Champion for Good, Project Yellow Light founder Julie Garner, talked to us about her very personal reason for founding the organization, what she’s learned along the way, and why this particular moment—when many are returning to daily commutes and road travel—is so important for illuminating the road ahead.
August 12, 2021
Smokey Bear turns 77 today, August 9th, 2021. His Ad Council Wildfire Prevention campaign in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters is the longest running public service campaign in history. Smokey and his iconic catchphrase “Only you can prevent wildfires” have become immediately recognizable in American culture. Let’s revisit Smokey’s start in 1944 and examine his journey as an ever-evolving advertising icon.
August 9, 2021
Shelley Zalis, founder and CEO of The Female Quotient, and Nicola Mendelsohn, vice president for EMEA at Facebook, came together to develop a first-of-its-kind tool that aims to increase diversity on panels and at conferences. Through providing organizations the means to assess onstage representation, the Speaker Equity Assessor tool provides event organizers with access to a comprehensive view, across a variety of intersectional demographic speaker data, of representation makeup. The tool translates provided data into visual insights, allowing users to make crucial connections, prioritize diversifying panels and focus on inclusivity.
August 4, 2021
In the five months since launching our historic COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative in partnership with the COVID Collaborative, we have made significant progress. Initially, about 30% of Americans said they would get vaccinated as soon as one was available to them, and about 20% said they would not agree to be vaccinated under any circumstances, leaving about 50% that were hesitant. This 50% is where we have focused our efforts, alongside more than 300 cross-sector partners.
August 2, 2021
July is BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month, and what’s most important is to carry that awareness into every month of the year. Given the hardships our colleagues who identify as BIPOC have faced these past 18 months, it is necessary for individuals and organizations to educate themselves on how to best support them both in and out of the workplace.
July 29, 2021
Our latest Champion for Good is Gabrielle Shirdan, the SVP group creative director at McCann, who recently partnered with us to launch Sound It Out, a powerful new campaign that uses the power of music to help young people talk about their mental health. As part of the campaign, kids discussed what they were going through with some of today’s most exciting musicians, who then turned their feelings into songs.
July 20, 2021
Since the launch of our COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative, which includes more than 300 cross-sector partners and is the largest and most urgent communications effort in American history, we’ve deployed what we’ve called an air game and a ground game. What we mean is that we’re going big and broad with our messaging, in classic Ad Council fashion (the air game), and we’re also going deep into communities and finding new ways to engage with the people on the corner—the family doctors, the trusted pastors and the local pharmacists (the ground game). In other words, it’s not just about major tech companies, brands, government agencies, celebrities and influencers—it’s also about people like Cory Moskowitz at TransPromotion, a mobile advertising company.
June 30, 2021
Ahead of summer outdoor recreation season, our Discover the Forest campaign launched new PSAs encouraging parents and caregivers to take their families out to the forest to experience and reconnect with nature. The PSAs culminate in a singular ask: make the forest part of your family’s story.
June 22, 2021
June 19th is the anniversary of the emancipation of enslaved people in Galveston, Texas in 1865, which became a symbol of the end of slavery in America. This year, a 5,000-square-foot mural was unveiled at the Galveston location where Union General Gordon Granger read the orders that freed more than 250,000 people.
June 16, 2021
On February 25th, the day the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative announced the platform for our vaccine education initiative, “It’s Up to You,” Stephen Colbert joked on The Late Show, “Okay, that’s a nice sentiment, but ‘it’s up to you’ is why we have this problem—we need everyone to get vaccinated.” He went on to suggest some absurd alternate slogans.
May 24, 2021
Noopur Agarwal is the vice president of social impact for the MTV Entertainment Group. As part of her ongoing work around mental health, the Ad Council recently partnered with Noopur and her team on #AloneTogether, which launched in the early days of COVID-19, and we are currently working with her on her cross-industry mental health storytelling initiative that includes a Mental Health Media Guide providing best practices and evidence-based recommendations to support storytellers at any phase in the production process. We are also proud to work closely with Noopur and her team to launch Mental Health Action Day on May 20.
May 18, 2021
Back in the fall, when the Ad Council started talking about the role we could play in educating the American public and building confidence around the COVID-19 vaccines , we knew our call to action would be to direct people toward the facts. But we weren’t sure if we would need to build a standalone website or if we would simply refer people to a trusted source like the CDC.
May 5, 2021
This article was originally published by Ad Age.
April 29, 2021
Steven HT Wong is the cofounder and co-CEO of Ready State, the marketing and communications committee chair at the 1990 Institute, and a valued Ad Council partner, most notably for his work on our “Fight the Virus. Fight the Bias,” which directly addresses the rise in anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read on to learn more about Steven’s work, his thoughts on what brands should be doing to combat the rise in anti-Asian racism, and his advice for creating a meaningful life and career.
April 9, 2021
Hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community have increased exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yesterday, Stop AAPI Hate released a report that documented 3,795 reports of anti-Asian hate incidents from March 2020 to February 2021, and last night in Atlanta, a shooter took the lives of eight people, most of whom were women of AAPI descent. If you or your organization is looking for actionable ways to support the AAPI community and stand firmly against hate, read on:
March 17, 2021
Through the technology they use, the partnerships they develop and the creative approach they take to telling new stories, advertisers have the unique ability to propel culture forward.
March 15, 2021
Just because Black History Month is drawing to a close doesn’t mean education about Black history should. We thought we’d take this moment to round up some valuable partners, resources and collaborators that may inspire you or your organization to elevate Black voices through your work. Let’s commit to making every month Black History Month.
February 25, 2021
Moments before Elvis Presley sang “Hound Dog” on The Ed Sullivan Show on October 28, 1956, he made a different kind of history backstage, where he got his polio vaccine in front of reporters. He had been recruited for this PR effort for a simple, brilliant reason—children were getting the vaccine, but teenagers and young adults weren’t. Who would they listen to? Well, they were listening to Elvis.
February 18, 2021
As America gears up for a Super Bowl unlike any in history, many brands have already released the ads they’ll run during the big game on Sunday. Though many spots exist in a parallel existence free of COVID-19, some meet our moment more directly. Here are a few of our favorites, including one that won’t run on Sunday. (You’ll understand what we mean in a minute.)
February 5, 2021
Purpose-driven marketing is a strategy used by an organization to center its external communications efforts around a social cause that aligns with its core values. The goal of purpose-driven marketing is for an organization to develop a deeper rapport with their consumer base by creating authentic connections based on shared values.
February 1, 2021
Over the last year, creative producer and friend of the Ad Council Ramone Hulet has kept busy on projects like the forthcoming film Candyman and developing engaging ads in partnership with Amazon, Kingsford and Nike.
January 28, 2021
In the summer of 2020, a large number of brands and corporations rushed to show the world that they were part of the country’s reckoning over systemic racism. Some took legitimate, positive steps and shared their efforts in honest, meaningful ways; others put out vague platitudes and were quickly called out for their lack of real measurable action.
January 25, 2021
There were times it seemed impossible, but 2020 is finally, finally behind us. A new year is here, bringing so many reasons for hope. And with that hope comes a sentiment that we at the Ad Council are hearing a lot: “Maybe one day soon, we can get back to normal.”
January 4, 2021
Nate Nichols, founder and creative director of Palette Group, and Steffi Behringer, partner and executive producer at the agency, recently co-founded Allyship and Action, which hosted a virtual two-day summit in October that was focused on dismantling systemic racism in the advertising industry. That summit was only the first step. We talked to Nate and Steffi about the industry changes they saw (and didn’t see) in 2020, and what the next steps are for 2021.
December 18, 2020
More than 40% of Americans report that they are struggling with Covid and mental health conditions as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, according to an August 2020 survey in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Week Report. And as we look ahead to a challenging, isolating winter, those struggles will only increase.
December 16, 2020
This piece was originally published in Ad Age.
December 10, 2020