What is the State of DEI in the Creative Industry? Uncertain.

Posted inDesign Culture
By Adrienne LucasPosted  ∙  10 min. read

There’s a new headline damning the future of DEI every day. ‘DEI is Dead,’ ‘Layoffs Target DEI,’ and ‘Lawsuit Threats Lead to Pullback on DEI initiatives.’ The DEI workplace statistics make it clear that Black agency leaders are a rarity and that Black talent typically departs agencies within two years. 

But what about the people behind those headlines and numbers? In my near decade-long tenure working as a Diversity & Inclusion practitioner, I have listened to the experiences of Black people in higher education, law, and advertising. Their backgrounds were unique, but the commonality was a feeling of being overlooked, underpaid, and dispensable in the workplace. While this is a significant issue in all industries, we must have more people-centered conversations regarding DEI in advertising.

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

In May 2020, amidst the murder of George Floyd and the mourning of yet another Black person dying at the hands of the police, we witnessed what seemed like a racial reckoning. The workplace was changing. DEI departments were being created or expanded, Black ad talent received more promotions, and companies were tackling difficult conversations about race relations. 

However, the progress we made from 2020 to early 2022 has not only been undone, but things are arguably worse. There was already resistance to DEI advancements, but the combination of anti-Affirmative Action legislation, hundreds of companies firing their DEI teams, and billionaires like Elon Musk and Chip Wilson going to war against diversity added fuel to the flames. 

Over time, this anti-DEI rhetoric led to indifference and detachment toward the people most impacted by the current DEI shift. Black ad talent fights every day to find our way in this unwelcoming industry. We are your employees and colleagues. We make the advertising industry better through our undeniable cultural and creative influence. With that in mind, I honor the final day of Black History Month by centering Black ad talent. I want this article to serve as a reminder that DEI is more important today than ever. 

Inescapable Inequality 

Inequality is embedded into every crevice of advertising’s career pipeline–from portfolio school admission to C-suite access. Black talent deals with the remnants of America’s history of enslavement, Jim Crow, and economic oppression before we ever step foot in an agency. 

I have listened to countless advertising leaders and recruiters emphasize the importance of attending portfolio school to get ‘proper’ training and build a solid book. Organizations like The One Club have created laudable initiatives such as The One School—a free online portfolio school for Black talent–which has helped over a hundred Black creatives enter our industry. Yet, many agencies still recruit from a small number of schools, which, in and of itself, is a barrier to entry for Black talent. 

The typical White household has 9.2 times as much wealth as the typical Black household, according to research published by the Pew Research Center in 2023. This racial wealth gap often pressures Black professionals into more ‘traditional’ career paths like law, medicine, or education in search of economic security. While traditional postgraduate programs and portfolio schools are both expensive, the risk is different. In my experience, many Black families will celebrate the decision to follow a conventional career path. However, advertising is often perceived as low-paying and unpredictable. 

Some people never get to actualize their creative abilities in the workplace, but others, like Terence Raines, defy the odds. Raines is a senior creative director at a global full-service marketing agency and leads their Atlanta creative team. Raines recalls his days as a student at an elite ad school and the financial challenges he faced while under pressure to perform his best work. 

None of my peers knew that I would bring a massive sketch pad to my job so I could sneak schoolwork in while also trying to serve tables during peak rush hour.

Terence Raines, senior creative director

“None of my peers knew that I would bring a massive sketch pad to my job so I could sneak schoolwork in while also trying to serve tables during peak rush hour,” he says. “They didn’t know what it was like to leave a shift, sit through rush hour traffic, and pray you made it to class on time so you don’t get docked credit or what it was like to be negative in your bank account, but must explain to your critique panel why you couldn’t get your one-off designer spirits bottle fabricated for quarterly review.”

Graduating from ad school is an undeniable accomplishment. It is also just one out of many difficult steps toward career success for Black talent. Dèja Mays, a mid-level art director and co-founder of ‘The Come Up Brunch,’ a new networking event for Black mid-level professionals looking to upskill, has faced her own challenges within the industry. 

Mays has an impressive resume, graduated from a top ad school, worked at some of the industry’s leading agencies, and was featured in Adweek’s Profiles in Black Creativity. She almost pursued a career in psychiatry but decided to follow her passion for creativity. Years after Mays’ graduation, and with multiple awards and TikTok followers under her belt, she’s back on the job market. 

While internships provide a foot in the door, the journey to a seat at the table feels like an impossible voyage.

Dèja Mays, mid-level art director and co-founder of The Come Up Brunch

“The job search before my first role was tough, and it seems even more challenging this time around,” she says. “Many of my friends who are Black in the ad industry face similar struggles. While internships provide a foot in the door, the journey to a seat at the table feels like an impossible voyage.”

Many companies are quick to offer Black talent internships and entry-level roles, but what happens next? There is an almost impenetrable ceiling for Black talent looking to enter more senior ranks. Only 6% of managers and 4% of corporate executives are Black, according to She Runs It’s #Inclusive100 study on diversity and inclusion in marketing, media, and adtech.

“We lack the connections needed to secure a spot. Many of us talk about changing careers or taking on a second one as a backup, even though we are passionate about what we do. Our future in advertising seems so uncertain,” Mays says. 

What is advertising’s responsibility to address these shortcomings? What changes will we make within agencies and industry-wide to reflect the diverse population of America that we are marketing to? Will we, as an industry, succumb to the ‘DEI is Dead’ narrative? Or, stand firm and protect Black talent?

If you believe in the latter, evaluating your agency from top to bottom is critical. Ask yourself: Where are we recruiting Black talent? Are we investing in mentorship and sponsorship programs? Mental health and wellness workplace resources? Pipeline programs? Inclusion training for leaders, hiring managers, and recruiters?  

We are committed to the idea that this isn’t just a moral issue. We believe diverse perspectives will ultimately lead us to the best work possible.

Chris Breen, Partner & Chief Creative Officer at Chemistry

Failing to address these issues is a choice because some advertising leaders –like Chris Breen– are making the effort. Breen is a Partner & Chief Creative Officer at Chemistry, an independent creative agency. He is also a proud ally and diversity advocate. 

“We are committed to the idea that this isn’t just a moral issue,” says Breen. “We believe diverse perspectives will ultimately lead us to the best work possible. If we all used this as the lens to look at the problem, I think we would feel less angst around the fact that, to date, we have all done a poor job solving it. The industry can’t agree on the business value of fighting systemic racism. That’s the real issue we are facing right now.”

Agency leaders–if you want to support Black ad talent, understand the obstacles we face, listen to our stories, and provide growth opportunities. I hope this inspires you to research ways to invest in your Black employees and talent pipeline.

Initiatives Supporting Black Ad Talent

The One Club for Creativity

And many other organizations and initiatives, such as:

Adrienne L. Lucas, JD is a cultural strategist with 10+ years of specialized experience working on community engagement and DEI initiatives in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. She is the Global Head of DEI & Strategic Partnerships at The One Club–an advertising nonprofit established in the 1960s to celebrate and support the global creative community. As part of her role, Adrienne hosts creative boot camps, lunch & learns, and cultural programming. She is also the Executive Director of advertising’s largest diversity conference and career fair–Where Are All The Black People. WAATBP was co-founded by Jimmy Smith and Jeff Goodby in 2011 with support from The One Club. 

Adrienne is a frequent guest on panels and podcasts covering DEI, culture, and Corporate America. She holds a J.D. from NYU Law, a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Diversity & Inclusion Professionals Certificate from Cornell University IRL School. She is passionate about the arts, civil rights, and social justice.

Banner images courtesy WAATBP Conference and The One Club, photographed by Derrick Larane of Pocstock.

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