Black Madison Ave. Documentary Dissects the Culture of Gatekeeping in the Ad Industry

All real social change begins with a conversation. Thankfully, we are currently experiencing an era where justice-oriented conversations are taking place on a larger scale than ever before. Recently, seven Black titans in creative marketing came together in one room—for the first time ever— for a conversation that they hope will result in overdue action towards a more equitable ad industry. VMLY&R ecd Walter Geer invited six fellow ecds to chat about their experiences for a three-part documentary titled Black Madison Ave. The project premiered at New York Festivals and is currently the only recorded occurrence of such a gathering in existence. The documentary features an open conversation about being among what seems to be fewer than ten total Black ecds working at the top five holding agencies in the U.S. The creatives featured in Black Madison Ave. include Geer, Andre Gray of Grey, Kaleeta McDade of Ogilvy, Patrick Bennett of Momentum, Perry Fair of McCann, Shannon Washington of RGA and Sherman Winfield of VMLY&R. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Walter T Geer III (@3rdgeers) Discussions range from the comparative lack of resources allotted to Black creatives, micro (and macro) aggressions from bosses and coworkers, wavering or nonexistent commitment towards fostering welcoming environments for Black employees and, most importantly, where and how the industry needs to move going forward. Though the summer of 2020 saw a sharp increase from corporations the world over pledging to increase efforts to better support Black creatives, employees and consumers, a primary concern across all industries has been whether the impact will have enough longevity to create meaningful change. By allowing the larger advertising industry to sit in on a discussion about the hopes and concerns of Black creatives, Geer is offering a chance to evolve beyond the systemic issues that have defined it. The response Since the debut of the documentary, the response, as Geer noted to Adweek, has been largely positive. Still, some of the feedback pointed to a larger trend of marginalized creatives suffering through similar experiences of exclusion and gatekeeping in silence. "It was heartbreaking to hear so many individuals that reached out to me in private to say things like, 'I thought it was just me that experienced these things, and I’m so glad to know that after so many years, I’m not crazy,'” he said. "That in and of itself is horrific. Many of them are trying to deal with issues of discrimination and blatant biases on their own without help from others. Many feel that their voices are not being heard within the walls of their companies and agencies." Geer, who has been approaching tougher DEI conversations with major brand and marketing figures through a conversation series on Instagram, is hoping that the conversation will lead to a tangible move toward change like the kind noted by VLMY&R CCO Noel Cottrell, who noted on Twitter that the doc inspired him to "help change representation" in the ad industry. "This documentary shows that we have all been there, and that it is okay to speak loud and clear about our issues and ask for fair treatment and opportunity in these rooms," concluded Geer. Visual Artist Patek Is Combating Black Stereotypes Through Bold, Powerful Art