The Black History of Advertising

Black representation in advertising is an incredibly important as well as much needed topic to discuss this Black History month. The Black history of advertising is filled with a rich history of Black pioneers who directly had a hand in helping shape and influence the current advertising industry we see today. So it’s very important to highlight and celebrate these huge achievements that have been made.

A brief history of Black representation in advertising

This Black History month is a particularly special month to me a Black woman and a newbie to the advertising research industry. Upon reflection I found myself eager to gain more insight into the very rich history of Black influence in advertising to find out more about those that have directly had a hand in helping shape and influence the current advertising industry we see today. Representation in advertising is an incredibly important as well as much needed topic to discuss, I and many others strongly feel shouldn’t be relegated solely to one month in the year. This article highlights the vast positive achievements of titans in the industry as well as discussing intersectional issues such as sexism in which Black women face in the industry. At its underbelly the advertising industry still has a long way to go in terms of being full representative.

As a history buff I’ve always known that since the mid-19th century, Black people have been negatively stereotyped in mainstream advertising, with images like the mammy character of Aunt Jemima and other harmful caricatures. In response, African Americans endeavored to change this narrative, leading to the creation of the first Black-owned advertising agencies, such as Claude A. Barnett Advertising Agency, to promote more accurate and positive representations.

Pioneers in advertising

Pioneers of the advertising industry include Douglass L. Alligood and Tom Burrell, Douglass L. Alligood was one of the first African Americans to become an executive in the advertising industry in the United States and he worked at UniWorld, one of the oldest minority-owned advertising agencies in America. Tom Burrell, also known as the godfather of marketing, revolutionized advertising for Afro-American consumers by challenging industry norms and advocating for cultural representation. He famously stated "Black people are not dark-skinned white people." Leading to more authentic advertising, at his agency, Burrell and McBain, clients like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola produced successful ads, such as the 1976 Coca-Cola Street Song, aimed at African American audiences while maintaining broad appeal this became an instant classic:

Another example of a groundbreaking ad campaign by the Burrell McBain Advertising agency, was the 1973 McDonald’s advertisement titled ‘Daddy and Junior Gettin Down.’ In the ad below we see a Black father and son bond over a McDonald's meal in the backseat of a car, showcasing a heartwarming connection. This was a particularly groundbreaking ad, which showcased an alternative positive non stereotypical depiction of a Black father and his son; this ad is perfect as it caters directly to the African American consumer. Additionally, every part of this ad campaign was amazingly curated with the specific consumer in mind even down to selecting which magazines it was featured. It was specifically featured in the 1973 issue of Ebony magazine, the first Black-oriented magazine to achieve national circulation, and its main aim was to provide positive images for Black Americans in a world saturated with stereotypes, the work of these individuals is incredibly inspiring.

It’s truly astonishing to see that through so much persecution Black people were able to establish themselves in key roles. To help counter the negative stereotypes and encourage the Black community to seek positive representation. Moreover, many of us remember where we were in 2020, it was a momentous year regarding social activism and following George Floyd's murder. Protests worldwide prompted a renewed focus on racial inequality, with brands implementing initiatives and commitments to address this systemic issue. (Watson,2020) This led to a positive change in the face of advertising. Below are some of these initiatives and commitments brands had made:

Black on Depop' showcased three fashionable Black community sellers and buyers discussing their unique identities as Black creatives and their expression of their culture through style on the platform:

TikTok launched an ingenious brand campaign called #myroots, featuring Afro-Caribbean creators and artists like Cat Burns, Jeremy Lynch, Lily Rose, Michael Dapaah, and Sherice Banton, celebrating their heritage both in-app and out-of-home. Have a look at some of the viral videos here.

Ogilvy Roots, in collaboration with WPP Roots networks GTB and GroupM, launched a pro bono campaign called 'The People Behind the Label.' This was a great campaign for Black Pound Day. The initiative aimed to promote Black businesses and highlight their presence in the directory:

However, whilst notable changes have been made in the advertising industry, it’s important to ask what Black Britons are really thinking regarding representation. A 2023 MediaCat article states that more than three-quarters (77%) of Black British people believe that advertising campaigns portray Black culture better than they did ten years ago, according to a new research study from the Black British Voices Research Project.

I believe that that fair and representative advertising is good for both brands and consumers. A July 2024 Ipsos report backs this opinion as it states that DEI in advertising is good for society and good for brands. “We see that ads which score high on the DEI metric also score 56% higher than low performers on the Creative Effect Index (CEI) Portraying individuals positively inclusively, and without stereotypes in advertising can drive both short-term behaviour change and long-term consumer loyalty.

Acknowledging past pioneers inspired me to research today's leading Black voices in advertising, and explore their perspectives on the industry.

Myles Manyona

The first being Myles Manyona, the Senior Strategic Planner for Lucky Generals, and with over ten years of marketing experience has worked on projects for brands such as: Amazon, Yorkshire Tea, Xfinity; Drambuie; and many more. Additionally, this year Myles was shortlisted in the category of 'Strategist of the Year' in The Pros Awards 2024 supported by Google UK and Simple Thought.

Brands have long been criticised for inauthentically engaging in diversity and inclusion initiatives without any real substance. This is explored in an interesting Creative Brief 2023 article in which Myles was asked if brands did enough to mark Black History month. His response is not at all surprising. “In short, no. In the UK, anyway. Apart from Channel 4, Virgin Atlantic, Sainsbury’s, and Bumble who consistently show up and show out, I haven’t seen any brands putting their stake in the ground in support of Black History Month this year…. But sadly, these half-hearted efforts feel a little performative or tokenistic...”

Chloe Davies

Another great leading Black voice is the award-winning founder, creative and social impact strategist Chloe Davies. Chloe Davis has dedicated much of her 20+ year career campaigning for inclusion and equality in all spaces. A 2024 Creative Brief article discusses the disparity of Black women in the advertising industry. “Black women earn £20,000 less than white men, even with comparable education. Additionally, Black female representation in the industry has declined by 0.2%. The 2023 All In Census revealed that over 30% of Black respondents are likely to leave the industry due to issues like exclusion and discrimination.” (Kemp, 2024)

This illustrates the sad reality that multiple layers of discrimination intersect, to change this experience Chloe launched ‘It Takes A Village Collective.' The collective launched in April 2024 aims to be a global hub for Black women in advertising, media, marketing and communications.At the same time Chloe also launched ‘We Can’t All Be Lying.’ A global insight study which over the course of three years, will collect data, engage communities & analyse results producing detailed insights & global reports. I look forward to reviewing the final results of this landmark study upon completion.

Tobi Oredein

Tobi Oredein is an award-winning women's lifestyle journalist, media entrepreneur and international public speaker. Who focuses on race, feminism, beauty politics & popular culture. In 2013, after realising that the media industry was lacking racial inclusivity in its staff and content, Tobi decided to launch the website Black Ballad with co-founder Bola Awoniyi to fill a much needed gap in the market. The importance of publications like Black Ballad in the UK is clear in an industry that lacks representation. A 2016 The Guardian article discussing representation in British journalism, showcased that the statistics from a survey show that Black journalists only make up 0.2% of British journalists whilst also making up 3% of the population.

Black Ballad continues to do necessary and thought-provoking work elevating and illustrating the work of so many incredible Black women in this country. One recent campaign that caught my eye was their 10th anniversary International Women’s Day campaign, called ‘The Face of the Modern British Workforce.’ This trailblazing campaign supported by Google, launched on International Women's Day 2024. Featuring 56 Black women working across industries as varied as tech, entertainment, education, medicine and more. Read more about this important campaign here.

Trevor Robinson OBE

The final leading Black voice is of the legendary Trevor Robinson OBE. The activist and renowned visionary is the founder and executive creative director of the advertising agency Quiet Storm. Trevor is a marketer whose influential work has shaped UK advertising for over three decades. Trevor is behind some of the most iconic British advertising, from the multi-award-winning Tango ad:

Trevor explains in a 2015 The Guardian article just how hard it was for a smaller agency competing with much larger established agencies at the time. “Advertising in the 90s was an intense world: hard to get into and with an established set of rules. That’s what made the Tango brief stand out. Here was a client saying you can write whatever you want, just make Tango famous.” (Robinson, 2015) Trevor is also behind the well-known 2014 ad campaign which depicts adults going about their daily routines while playfully speaking with kids’ voices and mannerisms, this campaign has remained a global success.

Trevor was awarded an OBE for his dedication to supporting young people from underrepresented backgrounds through charity and advertising. He also spearheaded the acclaimed "Create Not Hate" campaign, which addresses gun and knife crime by engaging disenfranchised youth from his community in creative. In 2020, the murder of George Floyd and resurgence of Black Lives Matter reignited Create Not Hate with a fresh purpose.

My key takeaways:

More steps are needed to fully bridge the gap in full Black representation.
Advertising agencies must be held accountable for ensuring Black stories are told by Black creatives.
Understanding discrimination's intersectionality is crucial for full representation. The industry must address the alarmingly low percentage of Black female representation.