Lately, there is a phrase that sounds like a broken record, being played over and over again.
“There is a lot going on in the world right now”
Yes, there is. A pandemic, George Floyd’s murder, protests that are fighting systemic racism and police brutality, voter suppression, white supremacy fully exposed, and government representatives who are ignoring their citizen’s outcry for change. So, we have to ask ourselves: is there a right way to advertise right now?
The reality is, that we have come to a point within our society where we need to make some choices. We need to decide if we want to continue supporting the status quo, that has oppressed black people and people of color, or truly get behind a movement to create and support change.
With that said, creating and supporting change has to be done in all aspects of our lives. From governmental policy to our daily interactions. Biases are part of being human and we must challenge those biases; in ourselves and in the advertising space. Marketing has the potential to make a huge impact on our culture as it has done countless times in the past by reaching millions of people. With the knowledge that things are not ok within our society, should marketing have a responsibility to help? If you believe in something, say it loud. Say it with passion. Say it with purpose. Because no matter where we are starting from, change takes work and discomfort but we still have to start somewhere. Advertising has all the tools, and they should be used.
Photo by Ross Findon on Unsplash
