Music Marketing Lessons from a "Racist" Super Bowl Ad

Can you go too far when marketing stereotypes?

Here's an example of an ad that ran in the latest Super Bowl, that some people, including many media critics, are saying does just that...

Other people, including Jamaica's minister of tourism and entertainment, Wykeham McNeill, think it's great.

"I urge persons all across the globe to do exactly what the commercial portrays, which is to tap into your inner Jamaican and get happy," he said.

On a music related note, McNeill also commented on musician Jimmy Cliff's background music calling it, "a tribute to the popularity of reggae music worldwide" and commending Cliff for being "a true Jamaican ambassador through his outstanding music." 

To answer my initial question, yes, you can go too far when playing up stereotypes in your marketing. Whether that's happening in this ad, I'll let you decide.

My point in using it as an example is that no matter what you do, somebody is going to be pissed. And sometimes it's not even the people who are actually affected by your actions.

This type of criticism can be confusing. If you're not clear on why you're doing something before you do it, it can throw you off and make you question yourself.

When that happens, it slows everything down.

I think criticism can be a very positive thing. For example, if write a "bad" song, criticism can point you in the right direction to make it better.

You're an artist though... And, if you're reading this, you're hopefully working at a level where your inner critic has helped you to filter the "bad" songs before they're ever released.

This is the positive aspect of an inner critic and why you should work to develop yours. A positive inner critic works as a filter. This helps to make sure, once you do release something, that you're ready to go balls out with it, moving through the criticism of others with ease.

Why wouldn't you move through the criticism of others with ease? Sure, criticism can hurt at times. I didn't say EASY though -- I said ease.

If your project has gotten to the point where you're releasing it to the public, you should have already gone through (and resolved) any major problems yourself.

I encourage you to embrace your inner critic and use it as a filter to make your best work possible. If you are able to control it, it will help you to deal with the criticism of others that automatically comes whenever something is publicly accessible.

Comments

[Roadsidephil]

I thought the controversy over this commercial was dumb. They weren't portraying Jamaicans in a negative light in any way. But some people will react negatively to any reference to race, good or bad, especially if it's coming out of the mouth of a white guy.

Would there have been any controversy if that Jamaican accent came out of an Asian guy's mouth?

I ran into this in December at a standup gig in Boise, ID. The crowd was about 2/3 white, 1/3 black. The tables directly in front of the stage were open and there was a group of black women sitting at a back table. They had arrived early just to secure the table in the back of the room.

About halfway through my set I said, "Ladies, these tables up front are open and it's 2012. Don't you know you don't have to sit back there anymore?"

To me that meant, "Pay attention to your history and how you're presenting yourself to the world." They didn't hear that at all. They walked and the rest of the audience was cold as ice for the last half of my set after what began as one of the best shows of the week.

So I think people are too quick to jump on the racist wagon (man there's a joke in there somewhere...) without really considering the message being communicated.

[David Hooper]

I have worked the comedy side of things a little, in both a writing and label perspective. Jokes related to race and culture can be funny, but there is definitely a double-standard or something where a message from one guy won't land like the same message from somebody else.

I was at a club last year with a black comic on stage. He was talking about "black people time" and how blacks and whites look at the definition of "on time." Just then a group of black women came in. Perfect timing for him to call them out, which he did. Everybody laughed, including them, as they sat down.

Would that have worked with a white guy on stage? Probably not. Should it have? I don't know.

If a comic is doing his job, he is stretching the bounds of what is acceptable. If you are a person looking for something safe, you probably shouldn't be at a comedy club.

Most comics that I have dealt with are great observers, much like the songwriters I know. I think you're doing a good job with both stretching the boundaries and observing, so keep it up!