Discussions around diversity, equity, and inclusion—or lack thereof—are slowly beginning to scratch the surface in the ad industry. Almost reluctantly it seems, after the year we’ve had, the race issue is finally becoming a regular convo at agencies.

As a minority copywriter with life experience working at marketing/advertising agencies, I can tell you this much: this world lags far behind when it comes to hiring, retaining, and promoting Blacks and other minorities. So much so, that the Commission on Human Rights Committee called out agencies numerous times for how bad they are at diversity.

It’s unfortunate that, because of the ad world’s homogenous nature, less attention is given to the enormous contributions made by people of color throughout the discipline’s history. For this exact reason, I wanted to wrap up #BlackHistoryMonth by highlighting some of the monumental work produced by Black creatives in advertising history.

Not just because the accomplishments of Black copywriters and designers are not properly recognized, but because I realized that I, myself, needed to do some research and learn more about Black history within my line of work.

You may not know their names but we all know their work. Here is a shortlist of some of the most iconic campaigns influenced by Black culture and produced by Black creatives throughout the decades.

Coca-Cola, “Hilltop” McCann Worldgroup (1971)

Billy Davis, a Black singer/songwriter and later the SVP, Music Director at McCann Erikson played a key role in concepting and writing the lyrics for this iconic spot in advertising history. Billy Backer, Davis’s white counterpart and creative director on the account, is often credited in the history books for this ad.

But it was Davis’s contribution that really made it what it is: a reflection of a global moment in history where people yearned for peace, love, and happiness. The song, “I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke", was deemed so incredibly popular, radio stations from across the globe were flooded with requests to play this hit jingle on the airwaves. Do you remember the last time a television ad did that?

Kentucky Fried Chicken, “We Do Chicken Right” Mingo-Jones (1979)

Caroline R. Jones is an industry pioneer and one of the most impactful Black women in advertising that you never heard of. Her professional career began in the early sixties as a secretary at J. Walter Thompson in New York City. Jones enrolled in an internal training program to become a copywriter, thus catapulting her advertising career. She quickly rose to creative director at JWT and then left to co-found her own shop—Mingo-Jones, an ad agency that specialized in targeting the African American market.

During her time at Mingo-Jones, she wrote the slogan for KFC’s coveted campaign targeting Black consumers, "We Do Chicken Right!" To the client’s delightful surprise, the campaign proved so successfully unforgettable to all demographics, the brand ran it at the national level for 10 years straight!

Marlboro, “Where the flavor is” Burell Communications

Everyone knows the Marlboro man. But did you know there’s a cooler, urbanized version of this idolized character? The Marlboro man is written down in advertising history as the most successful identity marketing campaign to date. Before that white cowboy out in the scenic country with his rough, manly voice told us to “Come to where the flavor is”, Marlboro was a women’s cigarette brand. And Tom Burell, the first Black creative in Chicago advertising and founder of Burell Communications, spearheaded Marlboro’s next brand evolution—this time aiming at the Black market.

The original concept for this campaign was to recreate the exact same cowboy concept, but make him Black. Responsible for putting Marlboro on the African American map, Burell vigorously shook his head at that notion. He knew it wouldn’t have resonated with the Black audience. So, he removed “Come to”, made the Marlboro man a cool Black man in a tweed blazer, and put him in the city. In an exclusive interview with NPR, Burell explains, “Black people are not dark-skinned white people.”

Secret, “Strong Enough for a Man, but Made for a Woman” Leo Burnett Chicago (1982)

Carol H. Williams, the first Black female creative in the Advertising Hall of Fame, began her career as a copywriter at Leo Burnett. She later became the first Black female creative director there too. This was where she launched Secret's renowned tagline and campaign, “Strong Enough for a Man, But Made for a Woman”, during a time of women’s revolution.

Today, she serves as the president, CEO, and chief creative officer at Carol H. Williams Advertising (CHWA). Williams oversees several large accounts that speak to African Americans and multicultural markets. With offices in Oakland, Chicago, and New York, she has guided CHWA to become the largest African-American, female-owned advertising and marketing agency in the world. Williams and her company continue to produce award-winning campaigns for companies like Hewlett-Packard, General Mills, Walt Disney, and Nissan.

Sprite, “Obey Your Thirst” Burrell Communications (1994)

During hip hop's cultural revolution in the ‘80s and '90s, Burrell Communication became one of the first agencies to tap into this significant movement with a series of ads that featured mainstream's biggest Black musicians. Darryl Cobbin, a young marketing exec on the Sprite brand team, was pitching to the Coca-Cola company to reposition Sprite for the African American market. In those days, Sprite was seen as the unwanted stepchild under the larger Coke family.

Cobbins saw an opportunity to revive the brand by using hip-hop as a catalyst. In conjunction with Burell Communications, he got the green light from his bosses and launched what became one of the most viral and authentic retargeting campaigns ever made. The “Obey Your Thirst” campaign was such a megahit, it went on to permanently establish Sprite in the hip-hop community forever.

Nike, “Dream Crazy” Wieden + Kennedy Portland (2018)

More recently, this award-winning campaign urges us to “Dream Crazy" during a controversial time in our history. Narrated by Colin Kaepernick, a figure that strongly resonates with Black America, this strategic campaign was brought to you by a diverse team of creatives from Weiden + Kennedy. The series of black and white ads that launched the campaign starts off with a close-up shot of Kaepernick and the slogan “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”

In the two-minute short film version, Kaepernick displays a compelling voice-over that ran during the NFL season’s opening game on September 6, 2018. The commercial shows athletes “overcoming adversity to chase their dreams,” with Kaepernick staring at a U.S. flag, and ends with him saying, “Don’t ask if your dreams are crazy, ask if they’re crazy enough.” The influx of criticism that followed echoed the ongoing debate over Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49er who took a knee during the national anthem during the 2016 NFL season to protest the killings of unarmed Black men by police.

And there you have it! This is just a small handful of influential campaigns produced and inspired by talented Black creatives throughout the decades. As you’ve learned here today, Black culture has a rich history and huge influence in advertising.

Do you have more to add? Comment below and let’s keep the conversation going.

Black History in Advertising