Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Politics/National
NationalNews

Proctor & Gamble’s Emotional New Ad Tackles Issue of Racial Bias In America

Posted byBy Tanasia Kenney | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

Consumer goods corporation Procter & Gamble is selling more than soap in a new thought-provoking ad set to hit TV screens next week.

The commercial, fittingly titled ‘The Talk,’ depicts African-American mothers telling their children the hard truth about growing up Black in America, describing instances of racial bias and stereotyping that Black people often face.

“You are not pretty ‘for a Black girl,'” a mother tells her young daughter as she fixes her hair in the mirror. “You are beautiful. Period.”

The two-minute ad also features a poignant exchange between a mom and her teenage daughter as she gets behind the wheel for the first time.

“Now, when you get pulled over …” the mother starts to say before her daughter cuts her off, reassuring her that she’s a good driver. “Don’t worry,” she says.

“Baby, this is not about you getting a ticket,” her mother responds, with a look of concern. “This is about you not coming home.”

Speaking with CBS News, P&G’s chief brand officer Marc Pritchard said the powerful new ad is part of a larger campaign called “My Black is Beautiful,” which showcases the diversity of Black beauty in media and celebrates Black community and culture.

“What ‘The Talk’ “enables people to do is to have conversations about bias, and when you have conversations and promote dialogue, that promotes understanding,” Pritchard said.

Since hitting the internet late last month, the commercial has garnered mixed reactions from users on social media. Many users praised Procter & Gamble for the moving ad.

https://twitter.com/MeganSmithPhoto/status/893482677256335360

Meanwhile, others (mainly white users) described the commercial as “racist” and even “anti-white.”

https://twitter.com/david_pringle/status/892807175508307969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmoney.good.is%2Farticles%2Fcontroversial-ad-parents

https://twitter.com/FusionRules/status/893241974836342784

P&G said “The Talk” is slated to debut on television next week. The company said it will produce similar films that focus on issues like gender inequality in the future.

Independent journalism still matters.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top