Why are We Still Doing Casting Calls?

At the risk of being called a racist (it's so easy these days to toss the "R" word), I get why some faces are selected for ads and some are not. When you get one shot at appealing to the largest cross-section of consumers, you want as many people to identify with the visual as possible.

For those of us in the Destination Marketing world, it is easy to show diversity in our Visitor Guides and websites. With hundreds of images, we can show the darkest and lightest of skins all enjoying our offerings. When it's a one-off print ad or a TV spot, the choices become more limited.

I get that. It's the reality of marketing in this wonderfully diverse country.

But, to have an ad agency issue a casting call for "caucasian and light-skinned Hispanics?" WTF?

Isn't there a big searchable database on the interweb that has a ton of models available to view behind the closed doors of the agency? So that your well-conceived intent to appeal to the broadest possible cross-section of America doesn't appear to be so sensationaly racist? And, by association, splatters your client when the media grabs hold of the story?

While we should really be past the whole skin color thing, research shows that African-Americans respond more favorably to ads with African-Americans, Hispanics and Latinos to Hispanic and Latinos, Asians to Asians, Whites to Whites, Natives to Natives.

What this agency is attempting to do isn't wrong. How they went about it is.

Casting Calls? Really?

 

Comments

[MA]

Ouch. I suppose I should be thankful for another good example of "what not to do" but this kind of bad press reflects poorly on the industry.