Jason Chambers PhD.com
Endorsements - Jason Chambers PhD.com
Site last published: 3/17/08 7:12 PM
"Madison
Avenue and the Color Line
is a major contribution to the history of
advertising, consumption, and African American
history. I was particularly struck by Chambers's
argument that the fate of blacks in the
advertising industry depended deeply on external
events--whether the integrationism of the early
civil rights movement, the government activism of
the Great Society, or the anger of the urban
riots."
--Lizabeth Cohen, author of A Consumers' Republic
--Lizabeth Cohen, author of A Consumers' Republic
.... Mr. Chambers does an excellent job of
tracing a story that dates back to the 1920s and
the early racial pioneers in the advertising
industry. From there, he guides the reader
through the 1950s, looking at the effects of the
post-war period and the civil rights movement on
efforts to bring about change and diversity in
ads as well as in the offices of advertising
agencies. Also explored is the effort to get
marketers to see the black media as a legitimate
place to advertise. Of course, a look at these
topics wouldn't be complete without a list of its
main characters: resistant marketers and
foot-dragging agencies; civic groups and
consumers using the government to apply pressure;
governmental agencies that force such changes;
and, yes, those marketers who pressured their
agency partners to change (and vice-versa).
The book offers perspective for those entering the industry as well as those that don't understand what all of the fuss is about. The return of the Human Rights Commission 40 years after its first apperance is a testament to the continuous struggle between the most vocal civil rights organizations to make a case for change and ad industry efforts to maintain a status quo of white males in charge at agencies trying to "protect" those clients who were nervous about a backlash by white consumers seeing more inclusion in advertising. It looks like we are turning a corner but not without some scars and bruises that have yet to heal.
--Carol Watson, The Big Tent (blog) on AdAge.com
see: http://adage.com/bigtent/post?article_id=125028
The book offers perspective for those entering the industry as well as those that don't understand what all of the fuss is about. The return of the Human Rights Commission 40 years after its first apperance is a testament to the continuous struggle between the most vocal civil rights organizations to make a case for change and ad industry efforts to maintain a status quo of white males in charge at agencies trying to "protect" those clients who were nervous about a backlash by white consumers seeing more inclusion in advertising. It looks like we are turning a corner but not without some scars and bruises that have yet to heal.
--Carol Watson, The Big Tent (blog) on AdAge.com
see: http://adage.com/bigtent/post?article_id=125028