GLOBAL — Racism has returned to the forefront of the news recently, but multinational consumer goods company Procter & Gamble (P&G) previously took on the issue head-on with a campaign from last year.
“The Look” was launched at www.talkaboutbias.com, a near two-minute-long film that follows a Black man encountering different “looks” he encounters in a day that seemingly bar him from acceptance. From his young son seeing a friend on the street that gets a reaction from that friend’s mother to an elevator door being shut in his face to being eyed suspiciously, the man receives looks that smack of bias. It continues when the man is seated at a diner and avoided by white customers as well as shopping for a suit but getting judged by the store’s sales personnel.
The film ends with a door being opened to a courtroom as a guard says “all rise” followed by everyone in the room standing up. The film then pans over to reveal the same Black man in judge’s robes taking his seat, finally getting the look of respect that was not given to him in previous scenarios. “Let’s talk about the looks so we can see beyond it,” flashes across the screen followed by #TalkAboutBias appearing under the P&G logo.
The film and website were produced in collaboration with SATURDAY MORNING, a creative collective founded by executives in the advertising industry who came together to create ideas that bring awareness to and shift perceptions on racial bias and injustice.
In a society that clearly still has biases based on race and skin color, “The Look” is a powerful reminder that awareness still needs to be raised, conversations still need to be held, and changes in hearts and minds still need to occur today and beyond.
About the Author:
Jason Inocencio was once the Digital Editor of adobo magazine who still loves seeing great campaigns from all over the world. He proudly shows off his love for all kinds of geeky things, whether it be movies, TV shows, comics, sports, or trivia.
