WHEN WE WERE last in touch, I wrote about my intention to conduct a very non-scientific nor statistically reliable survey regarding the presence of diversity in television advertising. I had the impression that diversity had increased during the past decade or two, and the era of colorless ads sandwiched between segments of the “Dick VanDyke Show” and “I Dream of Jeanie” had ended. I was curious to test that impression. Moreover, I needed to treat my eyes, and spirit to something positive in the media in contrast to all the unbelievable, sad, and frightening news stories that are aired every day.
Randomly, I selected three networks: CBS, ABC, and CNN. I wrote notes about the ads they aired during morning, afternoon, and evening time slots. After I collected my “data,” I placed the information in an easy-to-understand chart.
The numbers that you see separated by the word “OF” represent how many ads featured diversity out of the total ads I watched in a particular time segment. I looked for people of color, Asians, older/senior adults, Hispanic people, interracial couples/families/groups, self-identified Native Americans, *handicapped persons, and lgbtq+ persons/couples. For example, the morning I took notes about the ads on CBS, I saw 11 ads with diversity out of 13 ads total.
| A.M. | AFT. NOON | EVE. | TOTAL % | ||
| CBS | 11 OF 13 [85%] | 6 OF 11 [55%] | 10 0F 16 [63%] | 67% | |
| ABC | 11 OF 11 [100%] | 8 OF 13 [62%] | 5 0F 13 [38%] | 61% | |
| CNN | 10 OF 15 [67%] | 8 OF 16 [50%] | 7 OF 12 [58%] | 58% |
In my previous blog, I said I would write letters praising companies that televise ads featuring the most diversity. I stand by that intention. Companies deserving of praise are: Ancestry.com, Morgan Stanley, Ashley Furniture, Penn Medicine, Vabysmo, and St. Jude Childrens’ Hospital. The company with the most diversity in an ad is Raymour and Flannigan Furniture. One of their ads includes POC, Asians, Hispanics, a lesbian couple, and an interracial couple. Apparently, their promo department is clever enough to know that WE ALL need furniture and a decent mattress.
In my opinion, the gutsiest ads are those that show interracial couples and/or families in the face of our nation’s continued resistance to these relationships. The ad for Vabysmo, a medication, has a three-generation interracial family. If that factor doesn’t grab your attention, the ad’s last four seconds will. We watch the grandmother walk quickly toward the edge of a cliff.
Oh Lord! She’s so distraught about her son being married to a Black woman, that she’s going to commit suicide! Of course, she doesn’t kill herself. She stops just short of the edge, turns around, and smiles at her family.
Because my ad-sampling is far from scientific and therefore lacks statistical relevance, my four take-aways are totally subjective.
One: I never realized the networks ran ads one after the other, as if they were freight train cars. It wasn’t unusual to see six+ adverts in a row… yawn.
Two: There are so many ads for Big Pharma products, each one ending with an extremely horrific list of possible side effects of the advertised medication. No thank you, please.
Three: Does the lack of diversity in ads for life and homeowner’s insurance signal those companies’ desire to appeal to white clients only? Don’t they realize the almost-daily mass shootings are ending white lives also?
Four: Color me “disappointed” that CNN is in third place. Quite a lot of us who are POC, Asians, Hispanics, seniors, disabled, interracial partners/spouses, lgbtq+ citizens watch the all-news programs on CNN. During this present era when our lives depend upon our being informed, representation still matters.
*I saw only one ad that included a self-identified Native American person.
Renée Bess ©2023
Renée Bess is an award-winning writer who has been a fan of TV since her father bought a Muntz television set in 1951. If you’re curious about the books she’s authored, please go to her website: http://www.reneebess.com
If you would like to read her previous blogs, please navigate to: https://thewidewindow.com Then, click “Blog” at the upper right side of the page.
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