Advertising Indusrty Critics Ask - "Where are all the Black people?"

Advertising as an industry is notorious for its lack of diversity.  A study of the creative teams behind 2010 Superbowl Ads conducted by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports at the University of Central Florida found that

"The number of advertisements featuring a person of color as creative director went from zero in 2010 to four (representing 7%) in 2011…  And the study found that the "gender breakdown of creative directors remained the same from last year at 94% male, 6% female."

Another Ad Age article delves into potential reasons for the lack of diversity – citing both hiring and retention problems. 

“Not only do you have to recruit people that are diverse, you have to create environments under which those people are comfortable working in…”

Still, all is not lost .  Ad Age lists almost a dozen initiatives, dating back as far as 1973, to improve diversity in the industry.  And, filmmakers in partnership with the 4A’s and VCU Brandcenter produced a short film – Pursuit of Passion:  Diversity in Advertising – that paints a rosier picture of the issue, and its impact on creative work.  Watch the full length film here:

Despite the conflicting opinions about diversity in the industry, The One Club (among other “partners”) is hosting a creative career fair during this week’s Ad Week.  The goal of the event, known as “Where Are All The Black People?” is to

… have as many participants as possible walk away with a job offer, a confirmed second interview, or a paid internship. Participants will also have the opportunity to connect with a mentor, meet professional contacts in the industry and establish a valuable network.

The event will be held on Tuesday, October 4, 2011 from 8am-6pm at New World Stages, 340 W. 50^th Street NYC.  For more event information and/or to register, visit the Where Are All The Black People website.

**This post is for informational purposes only - check back later for updates of a more critical nature, like, "why are there no black people in advertising?"  And, of course, we might need to discuss the pros & cons of affiliating with Al Sharpton as a "celebrity" endorser...